Who Knew?
by DeadManHBK
Summary: (This is a revised version of the original story I wrote back in 2009.) One day, Mark Calaway finds a young girl on his property who is seriously injured. As he helps her get her life in order, romance blossoms between them, but what obstacles will they have to face? Undertaker fanfic.
1. Prologue

Driving through the vast darkness, Brandy struggled to get her vision to focus on the road stretched out before her as tears stung her eyes.

So many years, wasted. How could she have allowed it to go on this long? How could she have allowed it to get to this point?

_'Because that's how abuse works,'_ she thought dryly, and mentally shook herself. There would be no more chances. This time, she was really done.

_'Where the hell am I?'_ Brandy wondered as she started taking in her surroundings. All which greeted her were dense trees, and an empty road. She needed to come up with a plan, and quick.

Her heart leaped into her throat when she felt the car beginning to jerk, and the acceleration slow. "Shit!" she cried out as she pulled over to the side of the road, and hit the steering wheel with her hand when she saw the gas needle sunk down to the red 'E'. In the midst of everything which had conspired, she had not thought about money, or gas.

Now, she was really fucked.

Sinking her head down onto the steering wheel, she thought hard of a plan, when a pair of bright lights caught her attention. A flash of hop crossed her mind at the thought of someone approaching her, but as they grew closer, she realized they were aiming right for her car, and before she could react there was a screeching crunch, and everything went black...


	2. Chapter 1

"_Finally, some alone time,"_ Mark thought to himself as he wandered through the woods in his back yard. Ever since he was a young boy, he had always loved exploring the dense forest, and would search for hidden treasures and secret hiding spots. From the calm stillness, to the fresh Earthy scent it emitted, everything about it was perfect to him. Any time he needed to clear his head, and just get away from the hectic bustle of his life, this was his escape. A rustling off to his right caught his attention, and looking over, he smirked when he saw two squirrels chasing each other, going back and forth in a playful manner before quickly scurrying up and disappearing into a tree.

Continuing forward, Mark headed deeper into the woods, his end goal being to reach the pond in the back of his property, when he felt a tree branch snag his bootlace loose. Bending down, he tied his boot laces, and was about to stand back up when he suddenly noticed what was distinctly a hand lying on the ground. His gaze slowly rising, he fell back when he found himself staring at the lifeless body of a woman. His heart pounding, Mark was frozen in place, unsure of what to do. Feeling as though he were about to vomit, Mark cautiously inched closer to the body, and hesitantly reached out, pressing his fingertips into her neck, and was surprised when he found a pulse. It was almost non-existent, but it was there. Scrambling back up to his feet, Mark quickly made his way back to his house to call an ambulance. He felt bad having to leave someone so vulnerable alone in the woods, but the injuries she had were unknown to him, and he knew moving her could cause worse damage. For all he knew, she could have taken her last breath as soon as he walked away, but there was no way he was going to just leave her there. It didn't matter to him this was a complete stranger who had been trespassing, his goal right now was to do whatever it took to save her life.


	3. Chapter 2

Mark sat in the chair and sighed, wearily rubbing his face and resting his head in his hands. It had been three days since the incident in the woods, and the young woman he had found was miraculously alive, but still unconscious. The medical personnel had told him numerous times it was not necessary for him to stay there, and that they would make sure she was well taken care of, but he could not in good conscious just leave, and never give it a second thought. He considered himself too involved, and had to make sure she was going to be alright.

He looked over at her and felt another pang of sorrow. The poor girl looked like she had been through hell. One of her arms had been completely crushed, and was currently encased in a bulky cast. One of her ankles had been shattered as well, which resulted in one of her feet being put in a cast. Her nose had been broken, and she had an eye completely swollen shut, along with a fractured skull and other much more minor cuts and bruises. He could not comprehend what, or who had caused her to go through this sort of hell, but he planned on trying to at least attempt to find out.

Mark was flipping through a motorcycle magazine, when he heard a noise. He looked over, and was surprised when he saw she was moving. He sat up straighter when she let out a small groan and, relief filled him when he saw her open her good eye, and start looking around the room curiously.

Brandy awoke with immense pain shooting through her body. She slowly opened her eye, immediately noticing one would not budge, and found herself confused when she found herself looking around at white walls. "Am I dreaming?" she thought to herself. She went to sit up, but the intense pain which immediately hit her like a ton of bricks and took her breath away made her stay put.

"I wouldn't move, if I were you," a deep voice said to her. She looked over and saw a man sitting there by her side, the site of him both catching her by surprise and causing a spark of fear to twinge her insides. He had long black hair, piercing green eyes, and tattoos covering his arms. It was also very apparent this man was very large, both in height and muscle. _"He could break me in half,"_ she thought nervously to herself, and couldn't stop the trembling which began to overtake her body. Did Tom send him to finish what he started? "Hey, are you okay? Are you cold?" he asked, concern both in his voice and on his face. "You're white as a ghost, girl," he added, and suddenly stood up, walking out of the room. Taking deep breaths, Brandy tried to calm her rapidly beating heart, and felt an instant wave of relief when a nurse walked into the room.

"Look who finally decided to join the real world again," the nurse commented in a joking manner, smiling at Brandy as she scrubbed her hands. "My name is Joanna, honey. How are you feeling?"

"Like I'm going to throw up," Brandy rasped, waves of nausea rolling over her as the pain intensified.

"Don't worry, we will fix that sweetie. On a scale of one to ten, where is your pain at right now?"

"Twenty," Brandy groaned, her voice wavering as tears welled up in her eyes.

"You just hold tight, Brandy. I've got some medicine right here that is going to make you feel a lot better," Joanna reassured her as she added some fluids to Brandy's IV. "The pain is probably what is making you feel so sick, but we have some other medicine we can get you if this doesn't let up." Brandy immediately felt a warm fuzziness flow through her veins, washing away the pain she felt and making her head foggy. When the nurse looked at Brandy, she smiled back sleepily, and she couldn't help but to smirk in return. "Feeling better already?" she asked, and Brandy nodded. "On a scale of one to ten, how is your pain now?"

"Two or three," Brandy mumbled, and yawned.

Joanna couldn't help but to chuckle. "Alright, Brandy. You woke up just in time to get in an order for lunch, so I'm going to go get you a menu so you can let us know what you want. After you eat, the doctor will come in and talk to you."

"Okay. Hey, wait. How do you know my name?" Brandy asked, her words growing slurred.

"We found a wallet on you. We assumed it was your ID in it, and that your name is in fact Brandy Williams. Is that correct?" Brandy nodded. "Do you want me to bring you anything else back with that menu?"

"Some ice water, and maybe another pillow."

"You got it, hon," Joanna replied, and walked out of the room.

Brandy looked over at Mark, and asked quite bluntly, "So who are you? Why are you here?" Before he could respond, the nurse came with everything Brandy needed, and Brandy asked the nurse, "Hey, who is this? Why is he in here?"

The nurse looked up at Mark, then back at Brandy, and hesitated before replying, "He saved your life. I think the rest you should hear from him. I will be back in about thirty minutes to get your lunch order, but hit that button right there if you need anything else before then."

With a frown on her face, Brandy watched the nurse once more walk out of the room, and looked back over at Mark again. "You saved me?" she asked, and Mark shrugged.

"I don't know if I would say I saved you. I haven't given you any medical treatment. I simply found you, and called an ambulance," he explained, his voice like silk on Brandy's ears.

"Found me?" she inquired, unsure of what he meant. The last thing she remembered was driving in her car.

"Yeah, you were in the woods behind my house...I'm sorry, do you remember anything?" Brandy shook her head. "What do you remember?"

Brandy thought hard, trying to remember past being in her car, but everything was just so hazy. "Driving," she replied simply.

"You were driving?" he asked, and she nodded. "Well, I can't give you any answers as to what exactly happened. All I know, is you were far from any road. You were probably about a mile from the road that goes by my property, to be completely honest."

"I don't...I don't understand..." she mumbled, a frown coming to her face as she became clearly distressed.

"Hey, don't think about it right now. We can worry about all of that once you are more recovered. Right now, just focus on resting and getting better," Mark commented, leaning forward and placing a hand on her shoulder.

She nodded, and yawned. "Are you going to leave?" she asked, looking back over at him.

"I can if you want me to," he replied. "Or, I can reach out to your family if you would like."

She hesitated, before commenting, "I don't have any family..."

"How about friends?" She shook her head, looking down in shame, and he saw a lone tear slide down her cheek. "Hey, girl, no crying, okay? You got me, I won't go anywhere. You just sleep."

Looking back over at him, she gave a small smile. "Thank you, that's awful nice of you. I couldn't ask that of you, though. I'll be okay from here, you can go."

"Quit talking nonsense, I am going to stay here. My mind is made up. I ain't about to leave you alone like this."

Seeing that arguing was pointless, she simply nodded, her eyes once more growing misty. "Thank you," she whispered, wiping at her eyes to avoid any tears falling. "Can I ask you something, though?"

"Sure."

She hesitated, before asking, "What's your name?"

Unable to help himself, Mark started laughing. "I'm sorry, I keep forgetting even though I know yours, you've been out cold all this time. It's Mark. Mark Calaway," he chuckled, and extended his hand to formally introduce himself. Giggling at this, she grabbed his hand and shook it. "Now that we officially know each other, get some rest. I'm going to go get myself something to eat, but I will be right back. Again, if that's what you want." Feeling comforted by his presence, Brandy quickly nodded her head, making him smirk. "Can I get you anything?"

"I don't have any money-" she started, when he held up his hand.

"Not important. Do you need hair ties, or maybe a book?"

"Some hair ties would be nice. Maybe a word search book, or a magazine. I'm not picky. And if it's okay with you...maybe some cards? If you wanted to play, of course."

"You got it, kid," he replied with a wink, and gave a small wave before heading out the door. Feeling safer than she had in a long time, Brandy finally allowed herself to fall into a content sleep, unsure how but knowing she had to in some way repay the man who had saved her life.

As Mark walked back into Brandy's room, he immediately noticed something was not right. Her heart monitor was beeping at a faster than normal pace, and when he really looked at Brandy he could see she had an expression of distress on her face. Sitting down the items he had bought, he stood next to her, watching her closely as she began to squirm.

"No...no...Tom, no..." she whimpered, her head beginning to thrash about.

"Hey, you okay?" Mark asked, placing a hand on her shoulder, when her eyes suddenly flew open, full of terror, and she let out a piercing scream. Shocked, Mark fell back, watching as she continued to move about. When he realized she was still in the midst of a nightmare, and was not actually awake, he stepped back over to her and started shaking her shoulder. "Brandy, Brandy wake up," he said, tapping her cheek as well, and when she didn't respond he repeated himself in a louder voice. When she continued to scream, he looked around the room, unsure of what to do, and when he saw the glass of water by her bed he without giving a second thought grabbed it and poured some of it on her face. She immediately began to sputter, and blinked a few times before looking at him. "I'm sorry, darlin', but you were screaming bloody murder. You okay?" he once more asked in a gentle voice, and nodding her face crumpled as she began to silently cry.

"Hey, what is going on? Is everything okay?" Joanna asked as she rushed into the room, looking back and forth between the two. "Brandy, do we need to call security?" she added, eyeing Mark.

Brandy immediately shook her head. "No, no, I'm okay. I'm so sorry, it was just a nightmare," Brandy commented, trying to stop her tears. "He didn't do anything."

Joanna continued to look warily at them both. "Well...alright. You're sure you're okay?"

Brandy nodded. "Yes, I promise. Thank you, though, for the concern," she replied, and forced a smile through her tears.

Finally, Joanna nodded. "You know how to get a hold of me," she commented, and with obvious reluctance walked out of the room.

"I am so embarrassed," Brandy whispered, hiding her face in shame.

Mark could see she was trembling, and placed a hand once more on her shoulder. "There's nothing to be embarrassed of, you can't help having a nightmare," he reassured her. "It sounded like a hell of one, too...want to talk about it?"

Brandy quickly shook her head. "No...not yet, anyway." She hesitated, before adding, "I remember now how I got here..." Looking over at Mark, she commented in a trembling voice, "Mark...I'm scared to leave this place."

Mark frowned, worried by what could have her so scared. "Well like I told you, I'm here now. I won't let anything happen, okay? Just rest up, and when you're ready to talk I'll listen."

Nodding, Brandy settled back in her bed, and once more drifted off to sleep. As Mark watched her, he could not help but to wonder just what had happened to her...


	4. Chapter 3

As he had promised, Mark stayed by Brandy's side most of her time in the hospital, the only exception being when he had to attend to work matters and when he needed food or to shower. The two of them quickly grew fond of one another, despite being polar opposites of each other. While Mark enjoyed listening to her intellectual thoughts and views, Brandy loved hearing his stories of all the places he had traveled to. While Mark discovered Brandy was an English major, who had a passion for music and films, Brandy discovered Mark was a professional wrestler, who collected motorcycles and preferred to spend his free time fishing. They did not share many interests, yet somehow they never seemed to run out of things to talk about.

As she recovered from her injuries, Brandy found herself wondering just what she was going to do once she got out of the hospital. Where she had lived before this happened was no longer an option, and the only family she had was an alcoholic mother who lived on the streets and sold her body for money. Brandy had no desire to follow in her mother's footsteps, so she knew she had to come up with a plan and fast.

Walking into the hospital room, Mark was greeted to Brandy's warm smile. As the bruising and cuts began to fade, he started to see what a pretty little thing she was. She had big, animated hazel eyes that held an endless twinkle within them. She had thick dark brown hair, a feature Mark was typically a sucker for. What he loved the most, though, was her dazzling dimpled smile. She already had him wrapped around her finger, and they weren't even dating. "Hey little one," Mark greeted her, setting the bag of food he had bought down on the stand next to the couch.

"Hey Mark," she replied, and he could see she took notice in what he had brought with him. "What did you get?" she asked, and he couldn't help but to chuckle.

"You are such a glutton," he commented, and sat a burger and fries in front of her. "I knew better than to forget getting you something."

She gave another bright smile. "You already know me all too well," she replied, opening the cheeseburger. "I'm not sure how I feel about that," she added as she took a bite of the sandwich, and he once more chuckled.

"How are you feeling today?" he asked, taking a drink of his tea.

Brandy nodded. "Very well, actually. My leg is hurting, but other than that I'm overall pretty pain free."

"That's good, hopefully they will approve for you to get out today like they mentioned yesterday," Mark replied, taking a bite of his own hamburger.

Just as they were finishing their food, the doctor walked into the room. "Good afternoon Miss Williams," he greeted her warmly, a smile on his face as he opened her file. "How are you feeling today?"

"I'm feeling well, sir," Brandy informed him, thanking Mark as he took away her trash.

"I'm glad to hear it. Any pain, or abnormal sensations?"

"Other than my leg, no sir."

Looking through her file, the doctor finally asked, "How would you feel about leaving today? I don't want to rush it, so be honest if you don't feel comfortable doing so."

"I do want to get out today. I feel ready."

The doctor gave another smile. "I just need to get some paperwork finished up on you, and you should be ready to leave in the next couple of hours."

"Thank you, sir," Brandy replied, and he gave a nod before exiting the room.

When they were once more alone, she looked over at Mark, and smiled at him. He smiled back, commenting, "That's pretty exciting news. You must be relieved."

"It is, I'm ready to feel as independent as I can in a wheelchair," she replied.

Mark chuckled at this. "So what is your plan?" he asked. Brandy quickly grew somber. She hesitated, before shrugging her shoulders, and he raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean, 'you don't know'?"

She once more shrugged. "I haven't figured that out yet," Brandy admitted quietly, looking down.

"So where are you going to go once they release you?"

"There are fast food places around here...I can go sit there for a while. I'll be okay."

Mark scoffed. "Brandy, do you really think I would let you do that? So get serious, what are you going to do?"

"Mark, can you please stop?" she suddenly snapped, taking him by surprise. "I am already overwhelmed by how I am going to pay for these medical bills...and I know I'm going to be without a job when I am finally recovered...and I can't go back to where I was living...and...and..." Brandy looked up at him with tear filled eyes, and whispered, "I should have died out there."

His heart breaking for the young girl sitting next to him, Mark gently pulled her to him as she began to cry. "Come on, now, don't talk like that. I've told you many times I'm here to help you, girl. Did you think I was bluffing on that?" he said in a soft voice, running his hand along her hair.

When she finally regained control of herself, Brandy pulled back, wiping her eyes. "Mark, I can't-"

"Stop," he quickly said, cutting her off. "Just stop right there. I can tell you're a very proud person, but please stop making it sound like you're a hindrance, or that you are forcing me into any of this. If I didn't want to help, I would have walked away a long time ago. Haven't you gotten it by now that I am here because I want to be? From what you've told me, you've had it pretty rough since day one. Let me change that. I don't need your money, and I don't want you to feel like you owe me anything, because that is not the type of person I am. You're in a time of need, so just let me help out."

"But why me? I'm just...me. I'm no one special, and you barely know me. I guess I just don't understand why you would want to help a stranger, and not get anything back in return."

"Because I can tell you are a good person who deserves a helping hand in this world, and all I am wanting in return from all of this is your friendship."

Brandy looked back over at him, and finally smiled once more. "You're too good to me," she commented with a blush. "I guess consider this me accepting your help."

Mark grinned. "Would you like a place to stay?"

"Mark, I can't-" she started, but when he gave her a look, she stopped. "You're seriously going to invite me into your home?"

"If you want my offer, then yes I am. The house is too big for just me, anyway. Plus, it could use a woman's touch. If you really want to repay me, then you can help me by helping me keep the place clean and organized. I guess you could say I'm a typical man when it comes to cleanliness."

Brandy giggled at his comment. "You're too sweet, Mark. I really don't deserve it," she commented.

"Is that you accepting my offer? My home is open to you."

She once more smiled. "I guess you twisted my arm enough. Okay, I'll accept your offer."

Mark smiled back. "I do have one more stipulation."

"Name it."

Mark hesitated, before asking, "Do you think you can finally tell me what happened that night? I would never force you to talk about it if you're really not ready...I just want to try and better understand what is going on in your head, and the situation you were in." Brandy grew silent, and when Mark saw the look on her face, he added, "I'm not asking you to tell me today. I simply think it's only fair I know, since I'm inviting you into my home. Plus, I like to think we are already friends, so we should be willing to tell each other everything."

She could tell he was trying to make light of the situation, and gave a small smile at his comment. Looking down at her hands, she remained silent for a long moment, before finally saying, "Since I was a teenager, I was involved in a very toxic relationship. The guy I had thought I was in love with had me blinded for so long by buying me anything I wanted, and taking me on elaborate trips. When he controlled every aspect of my life, by telling me what to do and where to go and who I could associate myself with, I thought it was because he loved me so much. As I got older, I started to see him for who he really was, but he was all I knew, so I thought it was normal."

She paused for a moment, and when Mark saw her eyes growing misty, he commented softly, "You don't have to keep going, Brandy."

She looked over at him, and forced a smile. "No, it's okay. I need this." Taking a deep breath, Brandy continued. "It was a couple of years ago when the abuse started. At first, it was just emotional and verbal. He constantly put me down, and insulted me, and made me feel like I deserved it because I was such a worthless piece of shit. I tried to leave quite a few times, but he always somehow managed to sweet talk me into staying. Over the last six months...it turned physical. He constantly threatened to kill me if I ever left, so I was terrified to even think about it. One night, though, he took it too far. He...he raped me, and then beat me until I passed out. When I finally woke up, I knew I had to get out, so I stole one of his cars and just drove and drove until I ran out of gas. I was sitting on the side of the road, just trying to figure out what I was going to do, when a pair of headlights started coming toward me. By the time I realized they were going straight for the car, it was too late, and everything went black. I remember waking up, and feeling myself being dragged along the ground, but I passed right back out, and when I woke up again I was here." Looking back over at him, she added in a whisper, "I'm so scared he is going to find me, and actually kill me."

By the time she finally finished, her entire body was trembling, and tears were silently rolling down her face. Mark was left speechless by her confession, unable to fathom how anyone could cause that sort of harm to such a kind person. Placing a hand on her shoulder, Mark commented, "Brandy, I hope you know you are one of the strongest people I know."

She looked over at him, and just shrugged. "I don't think I'm that brave, I just made the best of the situation I was put into."

"Give yourself some credit, little girl. You have went through more shit than most people ever see in their life. You are so much stronger than you realize, and I am proud of you for getting away from that situation. As long as I am around, I promise I won't let anything bad happen to you. You have nothing to be scared of from this point on." Her chin quivering, Brandy buried her face in her hands as she began to silently cry. Mark rubbed her back as he added, "Hey now, no need to cry. What's with the tears?"

"I'm not used to someone being so nice to me," she whimpered, rubbing her eyes as she tried to stop her crying. Looking back over at him, she added, "I'm sure you're tired of hearing it...but thank you, Mark. Seriously. I literally owe you my life."

"You don't owe me shit, girl," he chuckled, giving her a soft pat on the back before pulling his hand back. "Now how about a few hands of cards before they give you the okay to leave?"

She smiled, and nodded, watching him as he dealt out each of them a hand. An hour later, a nurse walked back into the room. "Alright, Miss Williams, you officially have the okay to get out of here. I just need you to sign a few release forms, and then once I get you unhooked from your monitor you are welcome to get dressed. Once you have done so, alert us so we can go over some last minute recovery and medicine information before you go, alright?" Brandy nodded, and after signing medical documents the nurse helped detach her from the monitor and IV she was connected to.

Once the nurse had left, Brandy went to go to the small closet the room had with her personal items in it, and stopped. "What's wrong?" Mark asked when he saw the expression on her face.

Looking at him, she commented in an embarrassed tone, "I...I don't think I have anything to wear. I'm pretty sure my clothes from that night were destroyed." Looking back at the closet, she added mainly to herself, "What the hell am I supposed to wear?"

"I guess it is a good thing I already thought about that for you, huh?" Mark replied, and when she gave him a look of confusion he opened the closet door, revealing a clean outfit, along with new undergarments and a new pair of shoes. "I uh...I hope you don't mind, but I may have looked at your clothing sizes so I knew I would get the right size. Hope you aren't too upset with me over that, I know it's kind of crossing a boundary."

"Mark...you just bought me new clothes and new shoes. How could I possibly be upset with this?" she said with a warm smile.

He shrugged. "It's nothing fancy, just a plain black shirt and some sweats, but I knew you would need something."

"To me, it's the most wonderful gift, and I am so very grateful for it," she replied, and motioned for him to come over to her. When he did, she had him lean down, and gave him a small kiss on the cheek. "Thank you."

He gave a crooked grin, the expression on his face from her action making her smile in return at how adorable he looked. "Do you want me to step out of the room, so you can get dressed?" he asked, still clearly brought back by what she had just done.

"I might need help, but I'd like to try on my own first. Could you help me with these ties first, please?" she asked, and he nodded before stepping over so he could reach her back.

Once he had the gown untied, he was unable to not notice her back, and felt anger flare up from deep within his being. "Brandy...are these scars from your ex?" She hesitated, before finally nodding, and he shook his head as he took in the ugly scars marring her beautiful skin. Gently having her look up at him, he added, "Never again. Okay? I promise."

With a misty smile, she nodded, and he respectfully walked out of the room to let her get dressed. With quite some struggle, Brandy managed to get her clothes on, but knew she would need help with the mess she called hair on her head. "Mark?" she called out, and within a few seconds he walked back into the room. "I know this might be an odd question...but could you please help me do something with my hair? I can't really do anything one-handed."

Mark smirked at this. "Sure," he replied, and went to the bathroom to grab the brush the hospital had provided her. "Do you want your hair up, or just brushed out?" he asked as he walked around to where he was standing behind her.

"Preferably up, but if you just want to brush it that is fine," she replied, glancing back at him.

He nodded. "Look forward," he commanded, and Brandy was brought back by the gentleness he displayed as he brushed her hair out. Closing her eyes, she enjoyed how soothing it felt to have someone else brush her hair. When he was done, she figured that would be it, but she was surprised when she felt him take hold of her hair, and begin doing something to it. "All done," he finally said, and when she reached back to feel her hair, she was pleasantly surprised to feel it had been put into a simple braid.

"You can braid hair?" she asked, a hint of disbelief in her voice.

He smirked at her. "I don't know if you've noticed, but I have long hair too," he commented in a joking manner, walking around to where he was once more in front of her.

She blushed slightly at this. "I have obviously noticed, smartass," she mumbled, and he chuckled. "I just don't know many guys, even with long hair, who can braid."

"I have nieces, so I learned to please them," he explained as the nurse came back into the room, his statement making Brandy give a small smile.

"Alright, Brandy, you are almost home free. I'm going to have you come down the hall, so we can go over follow-up treatment, and go over the medications we will be giving you, and then after that you are good to go," she explained as she pushed a wheelchair around the bed to where she was. "Would you like my help getting into the chair?"

"I can help her, if you'd like," Mark offered, taking note of how tiny the nurse was.

"Is it okay if he helps me?" Brandy asked, looking between them.

"Well sure, if that is what you are comfortable with. I haven't helped you all yet, so I don't know what all you have been told, sir, but she does have some bruised ribs, so just be cautious of that."

"Yes ma'am, thank you," Mark replied, and stepped closer to Brandy to carefully lift her up. He then carried her over to the wheelchair, and placed her on her feet just long enough to help her sit down, the entire time making sure to keep a firm hold on her.

"Wonderful. Would you like him to push you as well, sweetheart?" the nurse asked once she was settled.

"Yes please," Brandy replied, and the nurse had them follow her once Brandy was settled in the chair.

Mark wheeled her through the hospital halls, until they reached a small office. Mark pushed her into the room, and stepped back out when he was told for confidentiality reasons they needed to speak to just her. After about ten minutes, the nurse stepped back out, Brandy right in front of her. Mark politely took over pushing the wheelchair, and the nurse walked them down to where the entrance of the parking garage was. "You have our contact information, please make sure to give us a call if you have any questions, or concerns. We will see you in two weeks, Miss Daniels. You both have a good day," the nurse stated, and placed a hand on Brandy's shoulder before walking back into the hospital.

"Are you ready to get out of here?" Mark asked once the nurse was gone.

"More than you know," she replied, and he chuckled as he walked her to his truck.

"THIS is your truck?" she asked in awe as she look up at the massive, blacked out truck.

"That it is," he replied as he opened up the passenger side door, and with a gentleness which surprised her each time, he lifted her up into the seat. "Are you situated?" he asked, and when she nodded he put the wheelchair in the bed of the truck before getting into the driver seat. "So here is what I am thinking. Today, I'll get you just the basics you will need, like bathroom stuff. I want to make sure you are settled and comfortable at my place. Then tomorrow, if you feel up to it, that is, we can go get you some clothes, and anything else you may need." When Mark saw the look which came to her face, he added before she could say anything, "Don't even try to argue with me, little girl. I told you I want to help, and I am not changing my mind. Just give it up."

She couldn't help but to grin at his comment. "You're so damn stubborn," she mumbled, making him chuckle. "That sounds fine to me. Thank you Mark...really," Brandy added quietly, taking his large hand in her small one and patting it.

Mark was brought back when he felt a spark of electricity run through him when she grabbed his hand, and shaking this from his head he smiled back at her, giving her hand a light squeeze. "Away we go," he commented as the truck roared to life, and with an impressive gracefulness he maneuvered his way out of the parking garage and out onto the street.

After a small shopping spree, they finally made it to Mark's house. Brandy looked up at the home in admiration, and then glanced over at him. "This is really your place?" she asked quietly, her gaze going back to the structure before them.

"Why are you unable to believe anything I bring you to is mine?" he asked with a chuckle. "Yes, this is my home. I'll admit, it ended up being a bit bigger than I anticipated when I had it built, so I doubt we will even run into each other when we both are home."

She giggled at this, giving his shoulder a light push, and again he felt a jolt of electricity when she did this. Why was this happening? Why was it that every time she touched him, he felt like his breath was being taken away? Mentally shaking himself, he simply gave her a grin before getting out of the truck and walking around to her side.

"Do you mind just helping me try to walk this time? As grateful as I am of you carrying me everywhere, I need to be a big girl and try to get the hang of walking on my own," Brandy requested, her comment making him grin once more.

"Sure short stuff," he replied, and picked her up just long enough to place her on the ground. Holding onto her so she would not fall, the two of them slowly made their way to the house, and Mark once more carried her up the steps, despite her protests. When he set her back down, she glared up at him, and he commented, "Whether you like it or not, ya little shit, you are going to need help with these stairs, so get that look off of your face before it freezes on there," Mark commented, and gave her a light nudge before walking her into the house. He led her over to the living room, and sat her down on his sectional, and after turning on the television he handed her the remote. "Get comfortable, little one. I'm going to bring your stuff in."

"I can help-" she started to say, when Mark let out a laugh.

"You're funny. Now sit tight," he stated, and patted her shoulder before heading back out of the house. After two quick trips to the truck, Mark ordered some food for them and grabbed a couple of sodas, before joining Brandy on the couch. He was pleasantly surprised when he saw she was watching the baseball game going on. "Who's playing?" he asked, offering her one.

She thanked him for the drink, before replying, "It's the Cardinals verses the Red Sox."

"Who's winning?"

"Don't you have eyes?" she asked teasingly, and giggled at the look he gave her. "The Cards are winning."

He nodded as he took a long swig of his drink. "It's always a nice surprise to come across a girl who likes sports."

With a sheepish grin, she shrugged her shoulders. "Tom constantly drug me along to games, where he met with supposed partners. I figured I might as well get into it so I wasn't bored, and I'm grateful I did so. It turned into a nice escape for me."

Mark smiled at this. "Well I happen to enjoy going to games when I have days off, and I like having cute little ladies come along with me, so I'll keep that in mind when I need a plus one," he commented, the deep blush coming to her face not going unnoticed. They continued to enjoy the game together, discussing stats and their favorites in the league, when the food Mark had ordered arrived just as the game ended. Grabbing fresh drinks and anything else they might need, Mark carried the delivery into the living room as Brandy searched through the channels for something to watch. They ended up deciding on a comedy they both happened to enjoy, and made light conversation as they ate their food and only partially paid attention to the film going on in the background. Once they were beyond full, Mark picked everything up and sat back down, their attention now on the film as they sat in silence and enjoyed the lighthearted humor it offered. However not even ten minutes later, Mark went to make a comment to Brandy, but when he looked over he saw she was fast asleep. He couldn't help but to smile at this, knowing she had a long day and must be exhausted. Standing up, he gently picked her up, and carried her down the hall to the room he planned to let her stay in. Lying her down, he got her settled under the covers before heading back down the hall to continue to watch TV, not quite ready to call it a night. Finally, a few hours and few beers later he decided to head upstairs to go to sleep, when he heard a noise from the down the hall. Frowning, he listened closer, and this time he distinctly heard Brandy groan his name. Heading down the hall, he stepped into the room, and saw her writhing around. "Mark...please help..." she said again, and her cries began to turn to sobs. Walking to her side, he turned on her bedside lamp and could see she was drenched in sweat. At first, he simply thought she was having a nightmare, when her eyes opened, the expression in them full of pain and desperation.

"What's the matter?" he asked, stroking her forehead in an attempt to soothe her.

"I hurt...I hurt so bad..." she commented through her tears, and he felt like such a terrible person for not thinking about when she needed to take her medicine again.

"Just hang tight, I'm going to get your medicine," he reassured her, and left the bedroom to go to the kitchen where he had left her stuff. Snatching up the bag from the hospital with her medicines in it, he then grabbed a bottled water from the refrigerator before quickly making his way back to the bedroom.

"Alright, let's make that pain go away," he commented as he sat down, and when he reached his hand into the bag he realized there were more medicines in there than he expected. "I'm sorry...which ones do you need?" he asked, holding it open to her, and she grabbed the ones she needed. He then got out the amount of each one the label called for, and helped her take them before making her lie back down and going into the bathroom attached to her room. Wetting a rag with cold water, he came back into the bedroom and softly ran the cool cloth over her face before draping it across her forehead. He sat on the edge of the bed, and softly caressed the top of her head as he murmured, "Just try to relax, the medicine should kick in soon."

"I'm trying," she whimpered, silent tears still sliding down her face.

Mark simply looked at her a moment, before asking, "What can I do to help?" She opened her eyes, looking at him, and patted the spot on the bed next to her. "You want me to sit over there?" he added, and she nodded.

"Will you turn the fan on first?" she asked quietly, and he smirked as he stood up.

"You got it," he replied, and reached over to grab the remote stored in her nightstand, turning the fan on the speed she preferred before walking around the bed and sitting down next to her. "Is that better?" he asked, and she nodded.

"Well...one last thing..." she commented, both her voice and eyes telling him the medicine was already in the works of erasing her pain and helping her sleep.

"Name it, little one."

She blushed violently as she asked in a voice barely a whisper, "Will you help me take these pants off? I'm so warm."

He smirked at the innocence she displayed in that moment, and without saying anything stood back up to carefully remove the sweatpants she was in, respectfully averting his eyes from going lower than her waist, and covered her back up before sitting back down next to her. "Better?"

"Much," she mumbled, her voice nothing more than a sigh.

"Is the medicine helping yet?" She nodded, her eyes closing. "Do you want me to go now?"

Brandy surprised him by shaking her head. "As stupid as it sounds...I feel safer with you in here," she admitted. Looking back up at him, she added, "Please stay?" He gave a small smile and nodded, but when he went to get up she weakly grabbed his shirt, stopping him. "Where are you going?"

"I'm just moving over to the chair," he reassured her, motioning to the plush lounge chair in the corner of the room.

"Will you stay by me? I'm not asking you to stay awake, or anything...I'm sorry if this is all weird. Not being in the hospital has me scared of...I don't know..."

"Shh, you don't have to explain yourself. I understand. Just let me get changed, and I will be right back. Okay?" he reassured her, and when she nodded he stood back up and made his way to his bedroom to change into pajamas. When he made his way back into the spare bedroom where she was, he grinned when he saw she was already once more asleep. Turning the lights out, Mark got back into the bed per her request, and keeping a respectful distance between them Mark sat and watched her sleep, knowing he needed rest as well but wanting to make sure she was okay.


	5. Chapter 4

As Brandy woke up the following morning, she immediately noticed there was another person in the bed with her, a wave of panic coming over her as she realized this. Her heart pounding, she peeked in the direction of where she could tell they were lying, and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw it was simply Mark, sleeping soundly. She frowned as she wondered why he was in bed with her, but she could not stop herself from studying him as he slept. He really was a beautiful man. She watched as his pale eyelashes dusted against his cheekbones, noticing how long and thick they were. His hair fanned out around his head on the pillow, and unable to help herself she lightly let a strand of it run through her fingers. Her gaze went to his mouth, and she found herself wondering what it would feel like to kiss those lips...

When his gaze was suddenly on hers, she blushed deeply at being caught staring at him. "Morning," he mumbled, his voice rough with sleep.

"Morning," she replied quietly, giving him a small smile.

"How are you feeling?"

"Definitely better than last night. I think I need to take some more medicine, though," she commented, and quickly he was up. She watched him as he disappeared into the bathroom, and when he returned with her medications, she could not help but to smile. "You didn't have to do that," she added, watching him as he sat the bottles on her nightstand.

"I know," he replied simply, and retrieved a glass of water for her as well. "I am going to go take a shower, and get ready for the day. If you felt up to it, I was going to take you to get some much needed clothes, maybe some stuff for the house as well."

Brandy smiled once more. "That sounds fine, thank you," she replied.

"Do you need any help getting ready?"

"I think I will be okay," Brandy said as she went to get up, when a wave of dizziness suddenly hit her. "Whoa," she commented as she sat back heavily, squeezing her eyes shut to stop her surroundings from spinning.

"Hey, you okay?" Mark asked, frowning as he knelt next to her.

Brandy nodded, covering her eyes with her hand. "I'm just really dizzy," she replied quietly, feeling as though she could pass out or throw up.

"What do you need me to do?" he asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"I don't know, I don't know," she stated, panic creeping into her voice.

Sensing she was about to have a breakdown, Mark gently pulled her to him and wrapped her up tightly in his arms. "Hey, you're okay, just breathe," he softly coached her, alternating between rubbing her back and stroking her hair.

Burying her face in his chest, Brandy took deep breaths, until finally everything went back to normal. "Sorry," she apologized as she pulled back, an embarrassed expression on her face.

"Shush," Mark replied, and carefully helped her stand up. "You okay now?" he asked, keeping a firm hold on her.

She nodded. "Yeah, I'm okay now, thank you."

He simply smiled. "How does breakfast sound? There's a great diner not far from here that has some of the best food I've ever had."

She smiled back. "That sounds nice," she replied, and he gave her hair a quick ruffle before walking out of the room. Reaching over to grab her crutches, Brandy took a deep breath, and being extra careful made her way into the bathroom to get herself at least somewhat presentable.

It was late into the day when Mark and Brandy finally made their way back home, the two of them laughing hysterically as he parked his truck.

"No you did not," she gasped between laughs, tears in her eyes from how hard she was laughing. Unable to respond, he simply nodded. "You're fucked," she added, making them both burst into another fit of laughter.

"Fuck you, I was young," he chuckled, finally regaining control of himself. Looking back over at her, he could see a wince of pain cross her face. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just too much of the giggles," she replied, grabbing her side.

"Well let's get you inside," he commented, and getting out of the truck he walked over to her side, opening the door to help her get down. Once she had her crutches, he helped her inside, and got her settled before going back out to the truck to grab her purchases. "Is there anything you are still needing?" he asked once he was done and had joined her on the couch.

She shook her head. "You already got me way too much, I could not ask you for any more."

"How many times do we have to go through this? I don't care about the money, I just want to help you. I want to make sure you are comfortable," he reassured her.

She smiled at him. "I couldn't possibly ask you for what I really need."

"So there IS something else."

"Well..."

"What? What is it?"

She chewed on her lower lip, hesitating before finally replying, "If I am going to find a job once I am healed, I need some form of transportation. I'm just not sure how I will be able to get something."

"Well then let me help you. We can go find something whenever you want."

"Mark, I know you keep saying you don't care about the money, but there has to be a limit. I'm not going to let you buy me a car."

He thought for a moment. "Well...what if I sold you one of mine? I really don't want the money, but you obviously are a stubborn ass, so I'm sure we could come to a mutual agreement. I've been thinking about getting rid of it, anyway."

Brandy was brought back by this. "I...well...that's perfect, actually."

Mark grinned at this. "I'm surprised you didn't put up a fight on that one," he commented, chuckling when she playfully pushed him.

"What kind of car is it?"

"A Z3. I like my truck too much, and never really drive it."

Brandy's eyes went wide. "You're wanting to give me a BMW?"

"Sure," Mark replied with a shrug. "I told you, I never drive it. At least now it'll get some use."

"I...I don't know what to say."

"Just a thank you is fine," he said with a grin, and she smiled back.

Leaning over, she kissed his cheek, making his stomach do a small flip. "Thank you," she replied, her breath puffing onto his neck making a tingle run up his spine.

"You are very welcome," he replied, looking down at her. Mark glanced down at her lips, and then back into her eyes. God, was she a magnificent creature. "You're so beautiful," he murmured without thinking, idly running his fingers through her hair.

Grinning sheepishly, she looked down. "I'm not, but thank you," she replied quietly. Her stomach did a flip when he gently grasped her chin, forcing her to look back up, and momentarily forgot how to breathe when his soft lips were suddenly pressed lightly against hers.

"Yes you are," he whispered, and pulled back to look down at her.

Left speechless, she simply stared at him for a long moment, before finally getting out, "Wh...Why did you do that?"

He smirked. "I've wanted to do that for a long time, now," he informed her, and unable to help himself he leaned back down to once more kiss her, this time deeper and more sensuously. Letting out the smallest sigh, she allowed herself to get lost in the kiss, quickly growing overwhelmed by the emotions coursing through her. Her heart pounded wildly when his strong arms were suddenly around her waist, and just when she thought she would get lost in it all, he gave a firm tug on her to pull her closer, his actions making a jolt of pain cause her to cry out. "Shit, are you okay? I'm so sorry, I forgot," he asked, quickly pulling back.

Trying to breathe through the pain, Brandy nodded. "I'm okay...I just..."

"What do you need? What can I do?"

"My meds," she finally got out, and quickly Mark was heading down the hall to her room. Sinking back into the couch, Brandy closed her eyes and tried to focus on anything other than the hurt coursing through her entire being.

"Brandy, I am so sorry," he once more stated as he walked back into the room with both her medication and a bottle of water, and sat down next to her.

"It's okay," she quietly replied as she grabbed both from him, and quickly took the pills. When Mark could see she was struggling to get comfortable, he once more pulled her to him, this time in a gentler manner, and held her to him as he softly caressed her in an effort to help ease the pain. "Mark?"

"Hmm?" When she did not say anything, he glanced down at her, and found her simply looking up at him. He went to say something, when suddenly she leaned up, and her soft lips were on his. Taking her face in his hand, he kissed her back willingly, everything about the moment feeling so right.

When she pulled back for air, Brandy buried her face in him, breathing in his musky scent. "I care a lot about you, Mark," she commented, nuzzling against him.

"I care a lot about you too," he replied, his large hands caressing her. "You've made me happier than I've been in a long time."

She smiled up at him. "I can say the same thing about you. I just..."

"What?"

She shrugged. "I'm not sure how ready I am for a new relationship, and I am afraid of rushing too quickly into things."

"Brandy, I feel the same way you do. There is a reason I have been single as long as I have. It's not easy letting people in, and you are the first woman I have came across in a long time I could be myself with. I don't know what exactly is going on here. All I do know is...I think I want to be with you, and I don't care how long it will take for that to happen, so long as, eventually, at the end of the day I get to call you mine."

Brandy could not help but to smile at this. "I like the idea of being your girl," she replied, and once more kissed him. "Just promise me you'll be patient with me?"

"Of course."

Brandy nodded. "Then I'm yours," she replied quietly, and gave a small squeak of surprise when she was suddenly on her back with Mark over her, his mouth greedily claiming hers. Giving a small moan, she returned the kiss with just as much need, her hands clawing at his sides and puling at his shirt. When he moved his kisses down her jaw and to her neck, she whimpered as she bit her lip, the tickle of his beard against her skin making her break out in goosebumps. When she felt him pushing up her shirt, she forced herself to gently push on his shoulders. "Mark...Mark, wait," she softly protested, and he pulled back to look down at her.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, it's just...this is moving too fast," she stated, an apologetic expression on her face.

"I'm sorry," he replied, sitting back up and helping her up as well.

When he looked down, she had him look back up at her as she commented, "Believe me, I do want that one of these days. Just...not yet."

With a small smirk, he ran his hand through her hair. "You don't have to explain yourself, I understand...and I do have self restraint, believe it or not." She could not help but to give a small laugh at his comment, which was cut short by a yawn. "You should get some rest, we had a longer day than I intended for. Are you feeling better?"

Brandy nodded, smiling at him, and hesitated before asking, "Can I sweet talk you into sleeping with me again? I'm sure you aren't ready to go to sleep yet, but when you are...it'd be nice if you joined me."

Grinning, Mark kissed her forehead before replying, "Let me get changed, and I'll come back down. You think you can make it to the room on your own?"

"Yeah, I should be fine if you can help me stand up," she replied, and once they were both on their feet they went their separate ways to get ready for bed. Brandy changed into an oversized shirt, and getting into bed waited patiently for Mark to join her. When he finally walked into the room, he grinned as soon as he saw her, and she asked, "What?"

"You're just too damn cute," he commented as he walked over to the bed, and slid in next to her. Once he was settled, she turned off the lamp by the bed, and with the room cast into darkness they laid there in silence.

Brandy could feel herself beginning to slip into slumber, when Mark moved around, and she jumped slightly when his warm hand was suddenly caressing her stomach. She gave a tiny cry of surprise when he pulled her closer to hold her tight to his chest, and just as she was about to snuggle into him to get comfortable once more his lips were on hers, soft yet demanding. Gently pulling back, she whispered, "What are you doing?"

"I'm just kissing you, darlin'. Is that okay?" he quietly asked.

Not saying anything, she responded by taking his face in her hands and pulling him back down, kissing him back willingly as her hands grasped at his hair. Giving a quiet groan, he parted his lips, silently asking her to open up to him. As soon as she did the same his tongue reached out for hers, making her moan softly. As the kiss grew more heated, Brandy caressed his arms, admiring the strength she could feel in them. Not wanting to make her in any way uncomfortable, Mark kept his hands respectfully in place, letting her lead where things went. Eventually, she whispered breathlessly, "Touch me, Mark."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," she reassured him, and grabbing his hand placed it on her inner thigh. A growl rumbling in his chest, he once more kissed her as his hand kneaded the soft flesh, slowly inching upward as his need for her grew stronger. Bringing his kisses down along her jaw, he heard the hitch in her breathing as his hand came dangerously close to where he knew she ached the most, and just as he latched onto her neck he firmly cupped her through her panties. She cried out at this, and whimpered when he started rubbing her clit in slow circles.

"How's that?" he murmured, biting her earlobe.

"Your hands feel so good," she whimpered, her hips arching up into him. His hand slowly went up to toy with the waistband of her panties, and when he looked down at her with questioning eyes she nodded. "It's okay," she said, and gasped when suddenly his fingers were directly on her hot skin.

"Damn, you're so wet," he commented, feeling as though he would burst in his boxers from how badly he wanted her.

"You did it," she replied, making him give a low chuckle, and pulled him back down for a kiss, moaning into his mouth as his fingers quickened. When he eased a finger into her, she let out a strangled cry, and bit her lip hard when his thumb found her clit.

"God, you're tight," he growled, sinking a second finger into her, and quickened his motions, wanting to watch her as she fell apart.

"Oh god...Mark..." she panted, and cried out when she suddenly came in white hot spasms. He continued to stroke her until he felt her body grow limp, and finally pulled his hand back, giving her the chance to catch her breath. He was about to settle back down into the bed, when he felt her hand grasping at the waist of his boxers, and gently stopped her. "Let me return the favor," she softly pleaded, trying to pull out of his grip.

"Shh, not tonight," he quietly protested.

"But-"

"Brandy, there will be plenty of time for that in the future. This was about you. I'll be fine." Before she could protest, he once more kissed her, before lying back and pulling her onto his chest. Softly, he stroked her hair, until they fell asleep holding onto each other tightly, both of them feeling more content than they had in a long time.


	6. Chapter 5

As the days turned into months, the relationship between Mark and Brandy grew and blossomed. He noticed her progress, and how she was able to slowly open up more and more to him. He found he was able to do the same with her, which was something he was unable to do with many people. As the days went on, Mark found himself wanting her more and more, until every night he had to fight the biggest temptation of making sweet love to her. He was completely smitten with her. She was just so damn beautiful to him. He knew she had been hurt, and just wanted to make her feel good. However, it was very obvious she was still healing in many ways, so he knew he had to keep his patience. To him, she was worth the wait, and when they finally decided to take that step, it would make the moment that much sweeter...

Brandy had just fallen asleep, when a loud crash of thunder jolted her back awake. Sitting up in bed, she listened to the weather outside, and gave another jump when Mark's phone suddenly started going off.

"Mark?" she called out, gently shaking him, and received nothing more than a grumble in response. "Mark, your phone," she added, shaking him more firmly, and finally he began to stir.

"What's going on?" he grumbled, reaching over to turn on his lamp, and picked up his phone to look at it. "I guess this is a nastier storm than I realized," he commented, shutting off the alarm beeping on his phone.

"What do you mean?"

"That was a weather alert. There's a tornado warning going on right now, and apparently one was spotted not far from here."

"What should we do?"

Mark could hear her voice waver slightly, and frowned. "Are you afraid of storms?"

"No," she replied, her face growing red. He raised an eyebrow at her. "Well...maybe a little. Only when it's bad like this."

"Come here, darlin'," he said, holding his arm out to her, and pulled her tight to him when she curled up into his side. "I'm sure it's nothing, but even if it were I won't let anything bad happen to you. I promise."

Brandy smiled when he kissed the top of her head, already feeling calmer, but gave another jump when there was another loud crack of thunder. "I am going to end up having a damn heart attack by the time this storm is over," she commented, making him chuckle. "Don't laugh at me," she added, playfully slapping his chest.

"It's just a storm, darlin'. It's out there, and we are safe in here."

"I know, it's just..."

"What?"

She hesitated, before replying, " I guess I was traumatized a little bit when I was a kid. I know it's an irrational fear, but..."

Mark softly stroked her hair. "Shh, just close your eyes and go to sleep. I've got you, you're safe."

As they laid there in silence, Brandy tried hard to stop her trembling, but was unsuccessful. Finally, she commented, "Maybe watching the TV will help distract me."

She reached over to grab the remote, the feeling of her breasts crushed against his chest making his cock stir, and without thinking Mark gently grabbed it from her when she pointed it at the television set. "I think I know a better way to distract you," he stated, and placed the remote back on his night stand before leaving over to kiss her softly.

Brandy giggled when he pulled her back down into a lying position, her arms going around his neck when he moved over her. "Is that so?" she asked playfully.

"Mmhmm," he replied, and once more kissed her deeply, making her moan softly. When she felt him pressing into her thigh, her heartbeat began to quicken, and she found herself suddenly unable to wait a second longer. She was needing him in the worst way.

"Make love to me," she sighed against his lips, making him pull back.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure," she replied, making him laugh as she attempted to pull off his shirt. Once more, he kissed her, unable to get enough of her sweet lips, before sitting back on his knees. He had her sit up long enough so that he could slip her shirt off over her head, and had her once more lie back. He then delicately removed her shorts and panties, and simply gazed at her. Words couldn't describe how stunning she was, his hands following his gaze over her soft body. "God, you are so beautiful, darlin'," he was finally able to get out.

She smiled at him. "I wish I could see what you see," she admitted quietly.

Reaching out, he caressed her cheek. "I'll make you see it one day," he replied, and they shared another smile.

"Mark…please let me see you now," she quietly pleaded, her hands once more tugging at his shirt. He chuckled and rose off of the bed, slowly removing the clothes he was wearing until he was just as nude as she was. Brandy's breath caught in her throat when she finally saw Mark in all his naked glory. From his well sculpted shoulders, down to his long muscular legs, he was absolutely beautiful...and all hers. When her gaze lingered on the juncture of his thighs, she could not help but to bite her lip. He was...impressive, to say the least. When their gazes once more met, she held her arms out to him, beckoning him back to bed. With a smirk on his face, he got beneath the covers, and crawled up toward her. He could hear her giggling, and when he reached her legs, he started tickling the back of her knees.

"Mark, stop! You know I hate being tickled!" she squealed with laughter, trying to swat him away.

He came up from beneath the covers, a smug grin on his face. "Yeah, but you know you love it when I do it," he replied. She narrowed her eyes, and was about to protest, when he covered her mouth with his. She immediately forgot what she was going to say, distracted by the feeling of his lips against hers. She whimpered slightly in protest when he pulled away, and closed her eyes as he kissed his way down her body. She gasped when he took one of her nipples into his mouth, and started gently sucking and tugging on it.

"Mark," she whimpered, her hands clutching the sheets as he assaulted both of the rosy peaks. Once he had them erect, he started planting wet kisses down her body, playfully nipping her every now and then. Brandy watched as he disappeared under the covers, her breathing growing shallow when she felt his mouth on her inner thighs. "Shit!" she cried out when suddenly his hot tongue was on her aching clit. He draped her legs across his shoulders and lifted her hips up off of the bed, bringing her closer to him as he teased her with long licks and quick darts. Her eyes rolled back as her hands entangled in his hair, the intense pleasure she was experiencing almost too much to handle. This was completely different from her previous experiences in her last relationship. Tom never once thought about her pleasure. Mark, on the other hand, was clearly putting her needs before his, the groans he gave as he did so telling her he was more than happy to do so. When she felt him slide a long finger within her, curling up just right, this quickly was her undoing, and just as a flash of lightning lit up the night sky, she cried out for him as she fell apart.

When he felt her body grow limp, Mark kissed his way back up her body, watching her in wonder as she came back down from her high. She looked so tranquil, her features smooth and her face relaxed. She was absolutely gorgeous…and all his. When Brandy finally opened her eyes, she found Mark gazing down at her with warm eyes, a slight smile etched onto the corners of his mouth. "You're damn good at that," she commented, making the both of them laugh.

"Do you realize how beautiful you looked just now?" Mark asked, seeing a blush cross her cheeks. "You don't, do you?"

"I told you I don't see it."

"And I told you, I'm going to keep saying it until you believe me," Mark replied, and covered her mouth with his as he once more moved over her. Brandy immediately wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him to her as she eagerly returned the kiss. She suddenly wanted nothing more than to feel him deep inside her. She wanted to feel even closer to him, and wanted him to make her feel good.

"Mark, I need you," she murmured against his lips, pressing her hips up into his.

Mark breathed in sharply when she did this and pulled away. "Darlin', are you sure this is what you want?"

She nodded. "I've wanted this since you first kissed me, I just wanted to make sure I was ready."

"And are you?"

Brandy responded by taking him in her hand, making him groan. "Very," she said simply, stroking him slowly. With that, he eased into her, both of them letting out noises of approval once he was buried to the hilt.

"Fuck," he rasped, moving slowly. Brandy allowed her hands to explore him, feeling the strength in his body as she did so and noting to herself how lucky she was to have him as hers.

"God, Mark," she groaned, biting her lip hard.

"Am I hurting you?"

"No, you're just...huge," she commented, making him chuckle.

"Is that good or bad?"

"I don't know yet," she replied, making him once more laugh. "Faster."

He raised an eyebrow. "Faster?" She nodded, and doing as she asked he sped up his motions. "Like that?"

She once more nodded. "Yes, yes," she panted, her nails starting to dig into him.

"Tell me how you're feeling, baby."

"So good. God, you feel so good, Mark," she whimpered, moaning into his mouth when he once more kissed her as he thrusted with more force.

"You do too," he whispered against her lips, nipping her bottom lip before pulling back to watch her. When their gazes met, the look in her eyes made something within him snap, and grabbing her hands he pinned them down above her head as he steadily increased the speed of his thrusts. While one hand kept a firm hold on both of hers, he allowed his free hand to trail down her side, and along her thigh, until he reached that special little pearl.

"Oh god," she moaned when his fingers found her clit, and started stroking it at a pace which mirrored his thrusts. "It's too much Mark, I can't...it's..."

"Shh, yes you can baby, just let it go. I've got you," he coached her, never once slowing his pace. He was determined to make her cum so hard she saw stars.

"I...I..."

"What? Talk to me."

"I...oh fuck, I'm going to cum. Please don't stop."

"I don't plan on it," he panted, and exerted the last of his strength into pounding into her as hard and fast as he could. Her whimpers increased in frequency, when suddenly her back arched sharply and her eyes rolled back as she temporarily forgot how to breathe. Between the feel of her legs locked around his waist, pulling him in deeper, and the tightness of her squeezing him, he could no longer hold back, and letting out a throaty moan he followed her over the edge. For a long moment they remained motionless, until it finally passed. Letting go of her wrists, Mark looked down at Brandy and was taken by surprise when he found tears in her eyes. "Shit, did I hurt you? I am so sorry-" he started to say, when she stopped him.

"You didn't hurt me...I just realized something, is all."

"What's that?"

She hesitated, before quietly admitting, "I love you, Mark."

Mark felt a tug at his heart when he heard this. Truthfully, he had felt the same way since he first kissed her, but did not dare admit it in fear of pushing her away. Softly brushing her hair back from her face, he kissed her tenderly before whispering, "I love you too, Brandy."

Reaching up, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down as she hugged him tightly. Sliding his arms beneath her he held her just as close, the two of them lying there in silence as they remained buried in one another. Finally, Mark forced himself to roll over onto his back, and Brandy immediately curled up into his side, not yet ready to leave the warmth of his embrace. "I think I heard angels singing when I was cumming," she commented with a sigh, making Mark laugh. "Or maybe I just died and went to heaven, I'm not fully sure yet."

"That good, huh?"

"Mmm," she mumbled, making him laugh once more.

Kissing her hair, he murmured, "You felt just as good, darlin'."

Smiling up at him, Brandy leaned up to give him one final kiss before resting her head on his chest and growing still. Unable to fall asleep just yet, Mark watched her as she slept, noting to himself how lucky he was to have this angel in his arms.

"_I see you, you fucking slut!"_ Tom thought angrily, watching the video which had been sent to him by the private detective he had hired. As he watched Mark and Brandy make love, rage filled him. Seeing Mark on top of her, making her scream out his name made Tom furious at both of them. He watched as they moved as one, their motions growing faster until they both cried out their climaxes. Even with a storm unleashing wildly in the video, he could hear them. Seeing Brandy hold onto Mark with a serene look on her face made him jealous. As he watched them slowly fall asleep, he thought to himself, _"Why didn't you ever come for me? All you ever did to me was bitch about how I never pleased you, and force me to turn to another woman! But don't worry, baby, your payback is coming soon." _He grinned evilly as he thought of what he would do to her. She had clearly forgotten her place, and he planned on fully reminding her of what that was.


	7. Chapter 6

Mark groaned when his alarm clock started going off. He had completely forgotten about the meeting Vince had scheduled for this morning, and the last thing he wanted to do was get up. However, not wanting to wake Brandy up, he quickly reached over and turned off the alarm. He looked down at the gorgeous creature lying in his arms, and couldn't help but to grin. It didn't seem to matter what she was doing, she always looked so precious in his eyes. As carefully as possible, he reluctantly slid out from beneath her, and got out of the bed. When she started mumbling incoherently, he softly ran a hand along her back and kissed her temple. "Shh, go back to sleep baby," he whispered. When she once more grew still, he got up and headed into the bathroom to take a quick shower before getting dressed and pulling his hair back into a ponytail. He put his wallet in his back pocket, and sat down on the edge of the bed. After watching Brandy sleep for a moment, he then ran a hand through her hair and started softly kissing her lips until he felt her beginning to stir. "Brandy, I have to go to a meeting. I should be back around noon. I'll take us out to eat, so don't worry about lunch," he whispered.

"Mmhmm," she mumbled, clearly still half asleep, and he kissed her forehead before getting up and heading down stairs. Knowing it was very likely that she would not remember a word he said, he swiftly wrote her a note, and grabbed a quick breakfast before heading out to his truck. He wanted to hurry up and get there, so he could get back to the sweet little thing he could call his own.

"Brandy, I'm home!" Mark called out as soon as he stepped through the door. He received no reply. "Brandy, you in here?" he asked, heading into his study to see if she was there. When an empty room greeted him, he headed back into the main living space, and could hear music dimly playing from upstairs. Walking up the stairs, he finally found her in their bedroom, and couldn't help but to grin when he heard her singing along to a song. Leaning against the door frame, he watched her as she danced around the room while folding laundry. She was just too damn cute. "What are you doing in here, babe?" he asked her, finally making his presence known.

She spun around, a look of shock on her face. "Jesus, Mark! For someone as big as you are, you sure know how to sneak up on someone," she commented as she placed a folded shirt on the bed, and he couldn't help but to laugh.

"Sorry," he chuckled, walking into the bedroom toward her.

"I'm just about done here," she stated as she placed a pile of folded shirts in his dresser before bringing her full attention to him. He simply smiled down at her and gave her a soft kiss when she walked over to him. When he pulled away, she added, "Hi to you too." He chuckled and gave her another kiss before walking over to his dresser.

"Are you hungry?" he asked as he placed his wallet on the dresser. When he turned back around, he found Brandy standing right there, a hint of mischief in her eyes.

"Let's not think about that now. Let's think about…other things," she said as she pulled his shirt out of his jeans, and started leading him over to the bed.

"Okay, then. What exactly did you have in mind?" he asked as he placed his hands on her hips, doing what she wanted by walking backwards toward the bed.

She forced him to sit down, and straddled his lap. "I don't think it's that hard to figure out," she replied, and covered his mouth with hers. Mark growled and pulled her body against his, suddenly wanting her just as badly as he had the previous night. As he returned the kiss with just as much intensity, he ran his hands up her back beneath her shirt, lightly scratching her soft skin here and there, his actions making her begin to softly whimper. "Nice to see that you caught on," she said breathlessly once she pulled away, making him chuckle.

"I think you read my mind, darlin', because throughout the whole meeting all I could think about was how badly I wanted to get back here and take you again," Mark said in a low voice as his hands moved lower to squeeze her ass.

"Well then what are you waiting for?" she whispered in his ear as she reached down to stroke him through his jeans. He growled and suddenly flipped her over to where her back was pressing into the mattress and he was on top of her. "All I've been able to think about was last night, and how badly I want to do it again," she murmured as she unbuttoned his shirt, and began kissing his chest once it was completely undone. She heard him growl when she took his nipple into her mouth, and stopped what she was doing. "Do you want me to stop?" she asked, looking up at him.

"No, keep going," he replied, and she once more took his nipple into her mouth, softly sucking on it as her hands slipped beneath his opened shirt and roamed over the surface of his broad back. She felt Mark's hand once more make its way inside her shirt, and felt it cover her breast, pinching her nipple before massaging the mound. She arched into his touch and moved onto his other nipple, the low growls coming from deep within his chest making her grow more turned on with each second. She slid her hands down his hard stomach, and slowly unbuttoned his jeans, fishing her hand inside to find what she was looking for. She heard Mark's breath catch in is throat, and heard him groan when she pulled him out and started stroking him. Reaching down, Mark grabbed at the waistband of her shorts, impatiently yanking on them and finally pulling them off of her. Brandy cried out when he buried his fingers inside her, and stroked him harder as he fingered her. "Damn, baby, you're already wet for me," he murmured as he eased his thick digits in and out of her.

"Mark, I need you in me," she whimpered, pushing his pants far enough down to fully free his member and wrapping her legs around him.

"Are we eager?" he asked playfully, giving her an evil grin as he teased her by rubbing the tip of his cock against her clit.

She bit her lip at this. "Please don't tease me," she pleaded, looking up at him with begging eyes. Giving her what she wanted, he slid himself inside her in one long thrust, making both of them moan simultaneously. Mark was just about to begin thrusting, when she suddenly pushed on his shoulder, flipping them over to where she was now on top. Mark looked up at her with a surprised expression. "Is this okay?" she asked, looking down at him with hesitation on her face. "Am I too heavy?"

"God no, it's more than okay, baby," he replied, grasping her hips and rocking them back and forth. Letting her head fall back, Brandy quickly caught on and took over, grinding herself into Mark as she slowly rode him. Tom had always claimed she weighed too much, which resulted in him always being the one on top. It felt empowering to for once be the one in control of everything. "Oh God, darlin', you're gonna have to go faster. I can't take much more of this," Mark groaned, arching his hips up to meet hers.

She gave him an evil grin. "Don't you wanna take things slow?" she asked innocently, moving even slower yet.

"I want you to fuck me as hard as you can," he growled, his nails biting into the skin of her hips. Placing her hands on his chest, she started moving faster. She wanted it hard and fast as well, not soft and gentle. Raising herself up, she started bouncing on him, suddenly craving that release she knew would come. "Yeah, baby, fuck me good," he growled, meeting her every stroke. They both were lost in it all, and knew there was no turning back. Gazing down where they were joined, Mark had to stifle a groan as he watched his cock repeatedly disappear into her as she bounced on him. Watching this made him grow even harder yet. He looked back up at her, and couldn't help but to think to himself, "God, she's beautiful." With her full lips moist and parted, her cheeks flushed to a lovely pink, her luscious hair wildly framing her face, and her doe eyes dark with passion, she had an erotic beauty about her. Suddenly wanting to see her come, Mark tightly grasped her hips and took over the pace, driving himself deeply into her as he forced her to move even faster yet. This made her cry out and dig her nails into him. By now, their breathing had turned to pants, and both of them were flushed from their strenuous activities.

"Shit, I'm getting so close," she whimpered, a look of determination on her face. Reaching down, Mark started stroking her clit, making her cry out and buck against him. He firmly stroked her, watching her as her whimpers grew louder and louder, until she was crying out for him. Mark gave three more deep thrusts up into her, and groaned her name as well as he went over the edge with her. Once it passed, Brandy collapsed onto him, closing her eyes as he wrapped his large arms around her.

"I've created a monster," he murmured, making the both of them chuckle.

"It's not my fault you make me come so hard I see double," she replied, playfully pinching his nipple.

He once more chuckled. "Let's get going. I'm hungry as hell," he said, carefully pulling out of her and setting her on the bed before getting up.

"Me too, but I'm definitely going to need a shower first," she said as she stood up as well. When he started making his way out of he bedroom, she added, "Where do you think you are going?"

Turning around, he looked back at her. "What do you mean?"

She walked over to him. "I want company," she commented, and grabbing his hand led him into the bathroom.

"Oh do you, now?" he asked, watching her as she slipped out of the shirt she had been wearing.

Looking up at him, she pushed his shirt down off of his shoulders. "Yep," she replied simply, tossing it to the floor, and undid his jeans before turning back around to start the shower. Chuckling, Mark watched her do so as he removed the remainder of his clothes, and stepped under the spray of hot water with her. Making light conversation, the two of them washed each other, stopping now and then for a kiss until they both were clean and rinsed off. Wrapping up in a towel, they made their way back into the bedroom where they dried off and got dressed. As Brandy did so, she kept stealing glances at Mark. When she began to realize just how badly she was falling for him, she hoped to whatever higher power there may be that their relationship lasted, because she couldn't picture herself with anyone else.


	8. Chapter 7

As soon as Brandy woke up, a sorrow settled over her. Mark was leaving today, and he wouldn't be back for three months. She hated it when this time came. It hurt being away from him so long, and she constantly thought of him. Snuggling closer to him, she softly ran her hand along his chest, wishing she could go with him but knowing it simply was not an option if she wanted to create a career for herself.

Suddenly, a sly grin crossed Brandy's face. Mark may be leaving, but she could still leave him with something to remember her by. She cautiously moved over him, and started kissing his chest, teasing both of his nipples before making her way down his body. She pulled the covers further down, and settled between his legs as she admired his gloriously naked body. They had made love numerous times the previous night, but she still wanted to give him one last "goodbye gift". Her gaze fell on his limp member, and she took it in her hand. Brandy looked back up at him, and saw he was beginning to stir slightly. As she began running her hand along his growing length, she couldn't help but to think to herself, _"He's in for one big surprise when he wakes up."_

As Mark began to wake up, he immediately noticed the wonderful pleasure he was feeling. He could feel someone sucking his cock, and didn't know if he was dreaming or not. Letting out a loud groan, he opened his eyes, and found Brandy between his legs, her full lips wrapped around his shaft as she took him down her throat. "Brandy, what are you doing?" he mumbled.

She looked back up at him, a devilish look in her eyes, and she took him out of her mouth long enough to reply, "Waking you up."

He let his head fall back when she once more started sucking on him, and let the pleasure he was feeling overtake him. He was still worn out from the previous night, so he decided to simply lie back and enjoy what she was doing to him. "Mm, baby, that feels so good," he murmured, folding one arm beneath his head and his other hand cradling the back of her head as he looked down at her to watch her talents. He groaned when she started pumping the root of his shaft with her hand, not knowing how much longer he could last.

Brandy could feel him twitching in her mouth, and knew he was growing dangerously close. Sucking even harder yet, she squeezed on both his balls and shaft at the same time, and he immediately let out a loud moan as he came. She swallowed every drop of his load, sucking him until he calmed down, and finally made her way back up by him. "Good morning honey," she said in a sweet voice, wrapping her arms around his neck and running a hand through his hair as she curled up by him.

"Mm, morning to you too," he mumbled, nuzzling his head into her shoulder. "That was quite the wake-up call, darlin'."

She giggled. "I thought you might like it," she replied, and it was his turn to chuckle.

"Please, though…no more. I don't know if I can take anymore," he pleaded, and she once more laughed.

"You all tapped out, big guy?" she asked teasingly.

"I'm beyond that, little one," he replied, grinning when she giggled, and pulled her closer to him.

"Just consider this a little…goodbye present," she replied, smirking at him. "Did you like what I got you?" she asked innocently.

"I fucking loved it. You knew just what I wanted," he replied, giving her a passionate kiss before reluctantly getting out of bed and heading into the bathroom. He had a long day ahead of him, and wasn't looking forward to it.

"I hate this," Brandy whimpered as she clung to Mark, burying her face in his chest. They were standing outside next to his truck, merely minutes from being once more separated.

"I know, I hate this too, darlin'," he replied, softly stroking her back as he held her to him. Each time, it grew harder and harder to leave her.

"It's my own fault for falling in love with someone who travels for work," she commented, intending for it to be a joke, but when she looked up she could see a hint of hurt in his eyes.

"Brandy, if you want out of this..."

Realizing her words had been taken the wrong way, she pulled him down for a kiss, holding onto him tightly. "I never want out of this, Mark. You're stuck with me," she reassured him, and squealed with laughter when he suddenly straightened up, pulling her up in his arms as he did so.

"You sure?" he asked, worry still in his eyes.

"I'm positive," she replied, taking his face in her hands, and they shared a smile.

Mark kissed her once more, before placing her back on her feet. "Depending on where things are with your job situation, I can see if I can fly you out to California for the last couple of days of my tour if you want," he commented, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

She once more smiled up at him. "That sounds wonderful," she replied, and he grinned back at her. "Oh! Before I forget, I got you something," she said, and pulled something out of her pocket.

"You didn't have to get me anything, Brandy," he said, taking the small item from her.

"I wanted you to. Now open it," she said. He opened the small box, and smiled warmly at the item. Even though it was a simple silver chain, to him it was more precious than gold. "Do you like it?" she asked in a hesitant voice.

He engulfed her in his arms. "I love it, darlin'," he replied in a quiet voice. For some reason, this small gesture had sparked his emotions. When he pulled away, he took the chain out of the box and immediately put it on, the weight of the metal on his chest comforting to him. It was a constant reminder that, in one way or another, she was always there with him.

"It looks great on you," she said, fixing it for him.

"Thank you again, darlin'," he said, and grabbed her chin, giving her a soft kiss. "I'll call you once I get to my hotel," he added once he pulled away, and gave her yet another kiss when she nodded, this one more passionate.

When they finally ended it, Brandy said, "Be careful, okay? And be sure to call. You know I worry."

"I promise I will," he said, running a hand through her hair before putting his bags in his truck. Before getting in, he turned back around and asked, "Will you do me a favor while I'm gone?"

"Anything."

"Will you be sure to take care of my bike?"

"You know I will," she replied, and he grinned as he got in the rental car. Shutting the door, he started it up, and looked over at her, grinning when he saw her waving real big at him and waving back before driving off. As Brandy watched him drive off, she thought to herself, _"Just three more months until I can see him again."_


	9. Chapter 8

Brandy looked around the living room, feeling completely lost. It would be two more weeks until Mark got back, and she honestly was not sure if she could wait that long. It was true they talked on the phone every night for at least an hour, but it wasn't enough for her. She wanted him there with her, and wanted to be able to hold him. She wanted to feel his strong embrace, and look into his gorgeous eyes. She missed him so bad that it was turning into a physical ache.

Mentally shaking herself, she began to once more think of what she could do to take her mind off of Mark. She had already cleaned the entire house, put away laundry, and got a head start on dinner. She considered heading into the study to work on her writing, but knew it would be pointless to even try. When her mind was stuck on him like this, writing was not even remotely close to happening. Suddenly, she remembered her friend Teresa had the day off, and heading into the kitchen she grabbed the phone and dialed in a number. As she listened to it ring, she silently begged Teresa to answer the phone. Being the wife of Glenn Jacobs, a coworker and good friend of Marks, Teresa would know exactly how Brandy was feeling.

Finally, someone on the other end said, "Jacobs residence, this is Teresa."

"Hey you! What are you up to?" Brandy replied, relieved to hear her voice.

"Hey Brandy! I'm fine, just waiting for Glenn to get home. He said he would be getting in around seven, so I'm getting to that impatient stage of the waiting process."

"Listen here bitch, at least your guy is coming home tonight. I have to wait another two weeks for Mark to get back."

"Sucks to be you," Teresa replied with a smug voice.

"Fuck you," Brandy shot back, making Teresa laugh.

"Hey, you chose to fall in love with Mark's big ass, just like I chose to fall in love with Glenn's big ass. It comes with the territory."

"I don't remember reading about this shit in the fine print of our contract," Brandy grumbled, making Teresa laugh once more.

"So what do I owe the honor of you calling me?"

"I am going insane with boredom, so I was wondering if you wanted to do something."

"Sure, what did you have in mind?"

"Hell, I don't know. Anything sounds great, at this point. I just need to get out of the house, and from the way you were talking it sounds like you need to do the same thing."

"I'm not going to disagree with you on that one, I'm going nuts over here as well. Give me...say, thirty minutes? I'll come pick you up."

"Sounds great, see you soon," Brandy replied, and they said their goodbyes before hanging up. Heading upstairs, Brandy changed out of her casual lounge clothes before going into the bathroom to put her hair up in a messy bun and put on some light makeup. Just as she was finishing with her mascara, she could hear a car horn being honked outside. She quickly put on some perfume, and snatched up her purse before heading out the door.

"Well hello there," Teresa greeted Brandy as she got into the car, turning down the volume of the stereo as she did so.

"Hey, thanks for saving me," Brandy replied as she buckled her seat belt.

"That's what friends are for," Teresa said with a grin, making Brandy smile back at her. "Ready?"

"Sure," Brandy replied, and turning around Teresa made her way back down the driveway and out onto the road. "So what did you want to do?"

"I figured I would head towards town, and we could figure it out along the way. Unless you had something in mind?"

Brandy shrugged. "I personally was thinking the mall, but I really don't care."

"I won't object to the mall," Teresa replied, and turning on her blinker she turned onto another street. "So how is Mark doing?"

"He's fine, just ready for a break. I wish he would come home early so he could give his foot a rest, but he is so damn stubborn."

"He's a guy, they all think they're invincible." Brandy smirked at this, and simply shook her head. "What about his shoulder? Wasn't he having some issues with it as well?"

"He has not had any complaints lately about it, so I think it is finally healed." Brandy remained silent for a moment, before quietly adding, "I just worry so much about him. I know this is what he wants to do, and I give him my full support, but...being so far away from him when he is hurting like he is makes it that much harder. You know?"

"Oh, I know. Believe me, I understand completely. Unfortunately, I don't think it ever gets easier, but you learn to get used to it the best you can."

Brandy was about to respond, when her phone started going off. Apologizing to Teresa, she took it out of her purse. "Hello?" she answered.

"May I please speak to Brandy Daniels?"

"This is she."

"Yes, Miss Daniels, I was told to call you and inform you that your presence is requested at The Capital Grille this evening, and to be ready by eight o' clock."

Brandy was brought back. "Who wants to see me there?"

"I am not allowed to say, ma'am. Also, I was informed to tell you that your transportation will be provided for."

"Oh, okay. Is there anything else I should know?"

"No ma'am. Just that you are to be ready by eight."

"Okay, thank you sir," she replied, and said good-bye before hanging up.

"Who was that?" Teresa asked.

"Some guy telling me that I'm supposed to go to The Capital Grille at eight tonight."

"Wow, Capital Grille? Fancy. Are you going alone?"

"No...at least, I don't think so. He said my 'presence is requested', so I would assume that means someone wants me to meet them there."

"He didn't say who?"

Brandy shook her head. "Do you think I should go?"

"Hell yeah, you should!"

"But I have no clue as to who it might be."

"Well it sounds to me like someone is trying to impress you. I say go, and worst case scenario if you need us to, Glenn and I can come save you. You know we are just a text away."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

"I always am."

Brandy grinned at this. "Well, due to these new circumstances...want to help me find a new outfit for this?"

Teresa flashed her a big grin. "I know the perfect place," she replied, and made another turn as she once more changed the direction of where she was heading to.

Teresa looked at Brandy with a critical eye. Grabbing a brush, she lightly ran the shade of blush over Brandy's cheeks, and once more pulled away.

"Well?" Brandy asked in an uncertain voice. She wasn't used to getting this dressed up.

"You look perfect," Teresa replied with a smile.

"Really?"

"Absolutely. Just look for yourself," Teresa said, and turned Brandy around to where she could see herself in the mirror.

Brandy was speechless. She couldn't believe she was looking at herself in the mirror. "Wow," she murmured, cautiously touching her face and hair as a smile slowly spread across her face.

"What do you think?" Teresa asked.

"I love it. Thank you so much," Brandy replied, standing up and giving Teresa a tight hug.

"Anytime, hon," Teresa replied, hugging her back. Once they pulled away, Teresa handed Brandy the perfume, and she gave herself a couple of dabs before setting it back down. "Let's see what Glenn thinks," Teresa said, and grabbed Brandy's hand, leading her downstairs. "Hey babe, what do you think of Brandy?" Teresa asked casually.

Glenn looked up from the paper he was reading, and his eyes immediately grew wide. "Wow, Brandy. You look, so…so different," he commented as he stood up and walked over to them.

"Oh God, that's a bad thing. I'm going to change," Brandy said, and was about to head upstairs when Glenn stopped her.

"No, you don't, little one. I didn't mean it in a bad way, I'm just not used to seeing you this dressed up. You look gorgeous," Glenn reassured her.

"Are you just saying that to be nice?"

"I most certainly am not."

"Yeah, he doesn't tell you that you look good unless you really do. If you look like crap, he'll let you know. Believe me, I know firsthand," Teresa said, playfully punching him in the arm. He chuckled when she did this, wrapping an arm around her.

Brandy laughed as well. "Well thank you for your honesty," she replied, leaning up and giving him a peck on the cheek. Just then, the doorbell rang. "Alright. Thanks guys for hanging around here with me. You can head home now, and…well…catch up on things," she replied with a smirk.

Both Teresa and Glenn laughed. "Just get going," Glenn said, playfully smacking her bottom as he pushed her toward the door.

She laughed. "I'll see you later guys."

"Bye," the two of them said simultaneously, watching her as she opened the door.

"Miss Daniels?" the man standing there asked.

"Yes, sir," she replied with a smile.

He smiled back. "My name is Edward, and I will be your driver for the evening. Are you ready, ma'am?" Edward asked, extending his arm to her.

"I am," she replied, linking her arm with his and heading toward the beautiful stretch limo that was parked in their driveway. As he opened the back door for her, she gave a small gasp at the site of a dozen roses sitting in the seat. "Are these for me?"

"Yes ma'am, they are, and feel free to help yourself to the champagne chilling in the bucket by your seat," Edward informed her as she got into the vehicle, and gently shut the door behind her once she was seated.

"Does she know?" Glenn asked once Brandy had shut the door.

"She doesn't have a single clue," Teresa replied.

"Good, that's the way he wanted it. Now, let's hurry up and finish this up. As Brandy said…I believe we have some catching up to do," Glenn commented, a mischievous look in his eyes.

"That we do," Teresa replied with a smirk, and the two of them made their way back inside to finish what they had agreed on.


	10. Chapter 9

Mark stood next to the table he had reserved, once more looking down at his watch. Any second now, his sweet Brandy would be arriving at the restaurant, and he was growing increasingly impatient. As he looked over at the entrance, his heart began to pound. He didn't know why, but for some odd reason he was nervous as hell about tonight. He hadn't been nervous when the time came to ask his ex-wife, though. Why was it suddenly so different with her?

Just then, he saw a man escort Brandy into the room, and his breath immediately caught in his throat. Never before had he seen anything so beautiful as her, and the way she looked at that moment. Her hair fell around her face, and down to her waist in a mass of curls. The make-up on her face only enhanced her beauty, the dark eye shadow bringing out her bright eyes and the seductive color of lipstick bringing out her full lips. His gaze fell on the snug lacy dress she had on, and he could feel his lust for her spark. It fit her perfectly, accentuating every delicious curve on her thick figure.

He saw the man point in his direction, and Brandy look over at him. Her eyes immediately grew wide, and he grinned when he saw the shocked look cover her face. She made her way around the other people in the room, and immediately wrapped her arms tightly around him as soon as she reached him. "Oh my God, Mark, I didn't realize it was you!" she exclaimed as she squeezed him.

"Surprise darlin'," he replied, hugging her back just as intensely. It felt good to have her in his arms again. When he went to pull away, he felt her still holding tightly to him, and asked, "Are you okay?"

She nodded. "I just really missed you," she replied quietly, and he once more hugged her to him, feeling just as grateful to be once more with her.

Once she pulled away, she went to say something but stopped. "You…"

"What?"

Reaching up, she touched his upper lip. Where there had once been hair, was now smooth skin, leaving just his goatee. "You shaved." Mark nodded. "Why?"

He smirked, and gave a shrug. "I got bored. Why, do you not like it?"

"No, it looks great honey. You look as handsome as ever," she replied, making him grin once more, and asked, "What are you doing here?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Were you expecting someone else?"

She giggled. "No, I didn't mean it that way. It's just that you weren't supposed to get back here for another two weeks."

Mark pulled out her chair for her, and once she was seated, he sat down in his own chair and said, "Well, I told Vince I wanted to head back early, and he was fine with it. Other than a few signings I have to do in the area, I'm all yours for the next three weeks."

"That is so wonderful," Brandy said with a smile. "I'm so glad you're finally back home. I really did miss you."

"I missed you too, darlin'. I hate being away from you for so long." He hesitated, before adding, "I've actually been considering retiring."

"What? Why?" Brandy asked, a look of surprise on her face.

Taking her hand in his, he replied, "Because it's hard as hell being away from you. I know you want to make a career for yourself, and I could never keep you from doing that. I've had a good run with this company, so maybe it's time to toss in the towel."

Brandy squeezed his hand. "Mark, I know how much your career means to you, and I can see how much you mean to all those people who follow you. I could never be the reason you leave."

Mark remained silent, before quietly commenting, "You're worth it, though."

Touched by this, Brandy brought his hand up to kiss it. "Well…what if I join you?" she asked quietly.

It was Mark's turn to be taken by surprise. "You…want to go on the road with me?"

"I've thought about it. Unless…you don't want me to?"

"No, of course I would. It's just…what about work? You've made it very clear from the beginning you wanted your own career."

"Well, I've been thinking about it, and…what if I got a job with your company? I am sure I could find something which would involve my writing skills."

"That…is actually a great idea, sweetheart," he said with a smile.

She smiled back. "I don't know for sure if I would want to go that route, but I have thought about it. I'm glad you seem to like the idea as well."

"I like anything that means getting to have you with me more," he replied, and they shared another smile. Just then, their waitress came up and took their order.

"So how was this tour?" she asked him once the waitress had left.

"Just as rough as the last one. I am so glad Vince gave me the okay to take the extra time off, because I have been really needing it," Mark replied.

"I agree, you work so hard. It especially worries me when I know you are hurting like you are. You need to give yourself some rest so you can actually heal."

"Well if I'm home with you, I don't think much resting will be going on," he commented, chuckling when she flushed a lovely pink. He suddenly couldn't wait for part two of his plan to go into effect.

"Mark, take this damn thing off of me!" Brandy protested, reaching up to pull off the scarf he had put over her eyes.

"No, you keep it on, or else you'll ruin my surprise," he replied, and she reluctantly kept it on. "You know, you look so adorable when you're angry," he commented, playfully pinching her cheek. He grinned when he saw her crack slightly.

"Stop it," she replied, crossing her arms in from of her chest as she pouted. Chuckling, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her, resting her head against his chest and simply taking in her presence. She snuggled against him and slipped her hand beneath his jacket to wrap her arm around his waist.

"I hope you like my surprise," he murmured, and felt her shudder.

"I'm sure I will, Mark," she replied. He knew that she would at least love one part of it, but the other part…he wasn't so sure on. It was this which made him nervous. About five minutes later, they finally pulled up to the spot. Mark got out first, and then helped Brandy out as well. "Can I take this off yet?" she asked once more, reaching up for the blindfold.

"Hold on, darlin'. Not quite yet," he replied, and led her away from the limousine. She tightly squeezed his hands, clearly uptight over the fact that she could not see where she was going. Once he had her in the right place, he walked around to where he was standing behind her, and whispered in her ear, "You ready to see the surprise now?"

"Yes," she replied, and he removed the blindfold.

She blinked a couple of times, and then gasped. They were overlooking the city, the lights from the buildings twinkling brightly, and off in the distance you could see the river glistening in the moonlight. "God, Mark, this is so beautiful!" she breathed.

"I knew you'd like it," he replied, snaking his arms around her waist.

"Thank you for bringing me here, honey, and for this whole night. This has been amazing," she said, covering his arms with hers. The two of them stood there, remaining silent as they took in the gorgeous scene. Mark's anticipation was at an all-time high. If he didn't ask her soon, he felt like he would burst.

"There's one last thing I have for you'," he suddenly said, gently turning her around to where she faced him.

"What's that?" she asked curiously.

Taking her hands in his, he looked down at her and said, "Brandy, you know I love you, right?"

"Yes."

"And you know that I would never do anything to hurt you, right?"

Brandy frowned. "Of course I do, Mark. Why are you asking me all of this?"

Letting a strand of her hair sift through his fingers, Mark hesitated before saying, "This past year and a half has been amazing. You make me happier than I can remember ever being, and I am forever thankful for you stumbling into my life. I'm sorry it happened the way it did, but at the same time it did bring you to me, so in a way I'm also not sorry it happened. I've been thinking hard for a while now about how I could show you just how much you mean to me, and I think I finally figured it out." Never taking his eyes off of hers, he slowly got down onto one knee. As he did this, he saw her eyes grow wide. Reaching into his pocket, he got out the small box, and opened it. "Brandy Michelle Daniels, will you marry me?" On the verge of crying, she bit her lip as she looked back and forth between him and the ring, her delay in response making him worry. Finally, with a wide smile Brandy nodded, and tightly wrapped her arms around his neck. He lifted her up into his arms as he stood up and squeezed her, his heart soaring with joy as he held his future wife. "Baby, you've made me the happiest man alive," he murmured in her ear as he held her close. Now that she was officially his, he didn't plan on ever letting her go. Finally, he forced himself to set her down, and took her face in his hands. "I love you," he said, wiping away the stray tears which had escaped.

"I love you too, Mark," she replied, and he grinned, leaning down and giving her a soft kiss. Pulling the ring out of the box, he grabbed her hand and slid the ring on.

"Do you like it?" he asked.

"I love it, Mark. It's so beautiful," she replied, holding it out to admire it.

He grabbed her chin, making her look up at him, and said, "Yeah, but it isn't nearly as beautiful as you." She smiled sheepishly, and he grinned, giving her another tender kiss. Once they pulled away, he added, "We should get going.

"Yeah, you're right," she replied with a sigh, and he took her hand in his as he led her to the limousine. He let her get in first, and then got in after her.

"Edward, drive around for about half an hour before dropping us off," Mark said to the driver.

"Yes sir," the driver replied, giving a small chuckle before starting up the limousine, and Mark rolled up the privacy window.

"Why did you do that?" Brandy asked curiously.

Mark suddenly pulled her onto his lap to where she was straddling him and growled, "Because I can't wait until we get to the house to fuck you." Not in the mood for being gentle, he hiked her dress up, and ripped her panties in half, making Brandy cry out. He shoved his fingers inside her and started stroking her clit, making her whimper and squirm. "Mm, baby, you're already wet for me," he replied huskily as he slowly thrusted his fingers in and out of her. She started moving her hips along with the motions of his fingers, to where she was riding his hand.

"Mark, I need you in me," she whimpered as she fumbled at his belt buckle. It wasn't until now that she realized how badly she missed him making love to her.

"But I am in you, baby," he replied innocently, purposely pressing his thumb harder into her now-swollen clit.

She gasped when he did this, and started unzipping his pants. "Don't tease me, Mark," she pleaded, her hands grasping the waist of his pants. Giving into both of their wants, he raised his hips up, allowing her to pull his pants down to his ankles. As soon as they were down, she slithered onto the floorboard of the limousine and between his knees, stroking his thigh with one hand as she grasped his semi-hard cock with the other. Slipping out of his jack, he closed his eyes as he leaned his head back, ready to enjoy every second of what she was about to do to him. "Oh, how I've missed my little friend," she commented as she affectionately stroked his length to its full hardness.

"He missed you too," Mark replied, making her giggle.

"I can tell," she stated, and started running her tongue along his shaft. Mark gazed down at her as she took in his entire length and began deep-throating him. His breathing turned to pants as he watched her pleasure him, his hands running through her hair as he admired her talents. God, did she know how to turn him on.

"I can't take any more," Mark panted when he felt that coil beginning to form, and gently pulled her back up onto his lap. "Oh God, baby, don't do that," he pleaded when she continued to stroke him.

"You can tease me, but I can't tease you?" she replied, stroking harder.

"If you keep that up, I won't last very long," he warned her, his voice wavering slightly. Having pity on him, she raised herself up, and with Mark's help, was able to lower onto his rock-hard erection. Both of them moaned once he was completely inside her, and she started rocking her hips back and forth. Reaching around the back of her to unzip her dress, Mark pulled the top of her dress down to her waist, revealing those beautiful breasts to his hungry gaze. He immediately covered them with his hands, making her sigh and arch her back. "You know I missed these," he murmured as he gently massaged them, making her move faster on him. Needing to taste her, he leaned forward and took one of her rosy nipples into his mouth, making her gasp and move faster yet. Once he had given both of them equal treatment, she grabbed a handful of his hair, and forced his head back as she hungrily kissed him. Mark was brought back at how dominating she was being, but at the same time loved it, and returned the kiss with just as much intensity. Once Brandy pulled away, she started bouncing on him, her nails digging into his shoulders as she quickly started picking up her pace. Grasping her hips, Mark started bucking upward, meeting every one of her thrusts as they moved as one. Mark could hear her whimpers growing louder, and knew the end would be coming soon for her. Leaning forward, he whispered in her ear as his fingers found her clit, "Take us there, baby." She bounced even harder onto him, making the sound of flesh smacking flesh fill the back of the limousine.

"Holy…shit…I'm…gonna…MARK!" she cried out as she came, grinding hard into him as she tried to make the pleasure last as long as possible.

"Oh fuck…Brandy!" he moaned, continuing to thrust himself up into her soft core as he came long and hard in her. Once it passed, Mark collapsed back against the seat, and Brandy collapsed onto him. "Damn, I missed you," he panted, wrapping his arms tightly around her.

She laughed. "I missed you too, baby," she replied, snuggling closer to him as she idly ran her hand along his chest. The say there in silence, listening to the silent hum of the car as it drove down the street as they regained control of themselves. Finally, Mark gently pulled out of her, and sat her down next to him in the seat as they reorganized themselves. Once they were both properly dressed, Mark once more pulled her back onto his lap, and throughout the rest of the ride they nuzzled and petted each other, touching and kissing as they made up for lost time.

After what felt like forever, the limousine finally slowed to a stop, and was followed shortly by Edward opening the door for them. The two of them got out of the vehicle, and Mark tipped their driver before taking Brandy's hand in his and leading her up to the house. When he unlocked the door, the two of them went inside, and Brandy was brought back when the site of lit candles softly glowing everywhere greeted them.

"Did you…I…how?" she asked, taken by surprise.

Mark chuckled. "I have my ways," he murmured, and leaning down pressed a kiss to her neck before leading her up the stairs to their bedroom. Once there, more lit candles greeted them, along with rose petals scattered over the floor and bed.

"All this for me?" Brandy asked as she looked around, touched by the effort he had put into the entire night.

"Mmhmm," he murmured simply, and pressed a kiss to the crown of her head. Walking over to the dresser, Mark slid out of the suit jacket he had on, and draped it across the piece of furniture before picking up the bottle of wine sitting there and pouring them both a glass. He took a drink of his, before carrying hers over to her. Handing her the glass, he kissed her softly before walking around to the back of her, and once more unzipped her dress, this time letting it fall off of her shoulders to pool at her feet. Lightly, his hands ran along her arms and shoulders as his lips found their way back to her neck. "You deserve the world, and I would gladly give you it if I could," he quietly added in her ear, his words making a shiver run up her spine. Turning her back around, he lifted her with ease as his lips once more found hers and carried her over to the bed. As he placed her on the plush comforter, his hands quickly went to work on her undergarments, until she was left completely bared to his hungry gaze. Pulling back, he had her take another drink of the wine before taking the glass from her and placing it on her nightstand. Softly pushing her down onto her back, he simply admired the view of her sprawled out before him. From her full breasts to her thick thighs, she was absolutely magnificent. Grasping her thighs, he gently but firmly pulled them apart, and immediately lowered himself to cover her still aching mound with his mouth.

"Mark," she whimpered, biting her lip as she watched him make love to her with his mouth. Draping her legs over his shoulders, he reached up to cup and knead her breasts as he thoroughly explored her, savoring the sweet taste of her he had missed so much. When he felt her hands grab at his hair, and her hips beginning to move against him, she knew she was getting close, and when he lightly sucked her clit into his mouth this was her undoing. He continued to explore her until he felt her body relax, and pulling back he made his way up her.

"I missed the taste of you," he murmured before kissing her deeply, sharing with her the sweetness of her essence.

"You still have too many clothes on," she complained with a small pout once he pulled back to look down at her, her comment making him chuckle.

"Do I?"

"Well obviously," she replied, working on the buttons of his shirt and making him once more chuckle.

"What would you like for me to do, darlin'?"

"I want you out of these damn clothes so I can see that sexy ass of yours," she stated, still pulling on his clothes, and giving into her wishes he laughed as he stood up. She watched him intently as he slowly removed each article of clothing, until he was finally just as gloriously naked as she was. She allowed her gaze to glide over his form, admiring his strong form, and when their gazes once more met she held her arms out to him, beckoning him to come back. Unable to deny her, Mark crawled back up the bed to her, covering her body with his as he settled between her thighs. Looking down at her, he pushed her hair back from her face, admiring her beauty. "I love you," she whispered, looking up into his eyes lovingly, and leaned up to kiss him when he suddenly eased into her slowly, making her moan as she fell back into the pillows.

Covering her mouth with his, he kissed her deeply as he filled her completely, a groan rumbling in his chest at how tightly she surrounded him. "I love you too," he whispered against her lips once his pelvis was flush against hers, and pulling back he watched her as he began to move slowly. Softly, he thrusted into her, treating her as if she were the world's finest China. Lacing his hands with hers, he pulled them up over her head, and could feel her tugging against him but kept a firm hold on her. Winding her legs tightly around his waist, she arched her hips up into him in a silent plead for him to move faster, but he simply kept up his leisure pace, wanting to ensure he loved her thoroughly. Twice, he brought her over the edge, before finally joining her, the two of them crying out for each other as they came together. Mark laid there for a moment with his face pressed to her shoulder as he came down from his high, and when he pulled back he smirked when he found she was already sound asleep. Gently, he got her beneath the covers, and getting out of bed he went through the house to extinguish all the candles. Once he was finally cast in darkness he rejoined her in bed, and holding her close followed his future bride in slumber.


	11. Chapter 10

The upcoming months were frantic for both Mark and Brandy. While Mark was traveling with his normal busy schedule, Brandy was left with having to do all the wedding planning on her own. She found herself on multiple occasions wondering if they should simply elope as a way to avoid the hassle of all the planning, but luckily Teresa was more than willing to lend a helping hand and bring her back to the idea of having a traditional ceremony. Having just went through her own wedding planning only a few years prior, Teresa vividly remembered how stressful it had been doing everything on her own. As it grew close to the end of one of Mark's tours, they anticipated the small amount of time they would have to be able to do this together, but neither knew that would not end up happening...

**) ) ) )**

"Thanks for helping me look at venues today, Teresa. You have no idea how much help you've been," Brandy said as she finished off her glass of wine, and stood up to put her leftovers in the refrigerator.

"It's no problem at all. I remember how tough the planning was for my wedding, since Glenn couldn't help with anything. It made it miserable at times, to be honest. I just don't want you to go through what I did," Teresa replied, taking one last bite of her pizza before standing up and throwing the crust away. "I'd love to stick around longer, but I really need to get home."

"I understand. I'll see you tomorrow for bridesmaid dress shopping, right?" Brandy said as she stood up, walking Teresa over to the door.

"Of course, I will see you bright and early in the morning," Teresa replied, and gave Brandy a hug before walking out the door. Staying in the doorway, Brandy stood there and watched Teresa drive away, finally heading in once she was out of sight.

She sat down on the couch, letting out a sigh, and just as she did this, the phone began to ring. Muttering curses under her breath, Brandy reluctantly got up and headed for the phone. Just as she was about to pick it up, there was a sickening 'crack' as something hard came in contact with the back of her head. Groaning, she slumped to her knees, everything beginning to fade in and out as waves of dizziness rolled over her. Before she had the chance to even try to get up, someone roughly yanked her to her feet by her throat, squeezing hard as they covered her mouth and nose with their other hand. Weakly, she struggled against them, her muffled cries reaching out to no one. "Go to sleep, bitch," a rough voice growled in her ear as the hand around her throat tightened even more. She wheezed as she fought hard to breathe, when everything began to grow black, and just as she slipped into the darkness, she could hear Mark's voice talking on the answering machine.

**( ( ( (**

As Brandy began to wake up, she immediately noticed the queasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. She tried to sit up, but a wave of nausea forced her back down.

"Finally decide to get up?" a voice said. She struggled to clear her mind. Why did that voice sound so familiar? She tried hard to remember where she heard it before, but was so groggy it was impossible for her to think clearly. Slowly, her vision returned to normal, and she could see silhouettes of shadows as she looked around the darkened room. Everything, even down to the scent of her surroundings, was unfamiliar to her, and she only grew even more confused the harder she tried to remember what happened.

"Rise and shine doll-face," the same voice said as a light suddenly came on, making her jump in surprise. She looked over, and her eyes went wide. The person sitting there next to her was the last human being she ever wanted to see...

**) ) ) )**

As soon as Mark came to a complete stop in the driveway, he immediately jumped out of the rental car, not bothering to grab his bags, and rushed inside. He had been gone for four months, and was more than ready to see his girl again.

"Brandy, baby, I'm home!" he called out the second he stepped into the living room. He frowned when there was no answer. "Brandy?" he called out once more, but once again, it was silence which greeted him. Walking over to the kitchen area, he opened the door which led to the garage and turned on the light in there. Her car was sitting right there next to the steps...so where was she?

Just then, the phone started ringing, and he picked it up. "Hello?"

"Hey Mark! When did you get home?" Teresa asked.

"Literally seconds ago. Hey, have you seen or heard from Brandy today?"

"Yeah, I was just at your house with her about an hour ago. Why do you ask?"

"Because she isn't here."

"Maybe she had to go get something from the store."

"Her car is still here."

"Well have you looked all throughout the house?"

"Not yet, it's just... this just isn't the norm for her. Usually she is right here waiting for me when I come home."

"Maybe she laid down, or is taking a bath. She was pretty wore out from today."

"Yeah, I'm sure you're right," Mark replied, suddenly feeling ridiculous for assuming the worse. "Were you calling to talk to her?"

"Yeah, but it can wait. I don't want to impede on your time together. Just let her know I called, and I'll talk to her in the morning."

"I'll let her know Teresa," he replied, and they said their farewells before hanging up. Running a hand through his hair, Mark made his way from room to room, nothing but emptiness greeting him. Where could his Brandy be?

**( ( ( (**

Brandy looked around the room in a wild daze when she realized there was a gag in her mouth, and that her hands were tied tight to the bed she was lying on. It did not matter how hard she struggled, there was nowhere for her to go. "You look like you have some questions. Want me to take that out of your mouth?" her visitor asked, and quickly she nodded. Slowly, they walked over to her, and she had to fight back the urge to flinch when they reached out to remove the ball gag in her mouth.

"...Tom..." Brandy finally got out once she was able to talk, her stomach knotted and her heart pounding from the rising panic in her chest.

He smirked. "Yes?" She simply stared at him for a while, unsure of what to say. Truthfully, the fear she was feeling was making speech temporarily impossible. "What's the matter, doll? Cat got your tongue?"

She swallowed, wincing at the pain in her throat when she did so, and hesitated, before finally getting out, "Wh...Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why are you doing this?"

Tom shook his head. "Silly Brandy, did you really think I was going to let you go that easily? Come on, now, I know you know me better than that."

"But...it's been over two years. Surely, you could have found someone else by now."

"Oh, I did, but none of them were right for me. They were just my playthings. No, I've decided you were the one meant for me, Brandy my dear. I've already trained you so well. Although...I'm sure we are going to have to remind you of some things once more."

Brandy felt like she was about to vomit. "Tom, I...I can't."

He tilted his head. "Can't?"

"I can't be with you, I'm already with someone."

Tom waved his hand in the air. "We can fix that. I'm not worried about that pathetic excuse of a man you've been with."

"You...know about him?"

"Of course I do, I've kept a close eye on you this entire time. Did you really think you could get away from me?"

"I...I..."Brandy started to say, but was unable to form words, and shaking her head she bit her lip as hot tears rolled down her face.

Tsking, Tom walked over to her, and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Shh, it's okay doll-face, I'm here now," he commented, reaching out to run a hand through her hair.

"Don't touch me!" she suddenly yelled, pulling back as she yanked at her restraints. "Don't you fucking touch me ever again!"

"My my, what a little temper you've gained," Tom stated, smirking once more. "It appears we are going to have to fix that, won't we?"

"You're not fixing shit on me, now let me go!" she spat at him, once more pulling hard on her restraints. "Mark will-" she started to add, when he suddenly grabbed her jaw so hard she yelped in pain.

"I don't want to hear that filthy fucking name come out of your mouth ever again," he growled, suddenly furious. "I would rather see you dismembered and fed to the pigs, before I would ever let you go back to that piece of shit again. Do you understand me, doll-face? Get that fucking name off of your tongue, or I will cut it out myself." Tears once more silently sliding down her cheeks, she nodded. "You know, I just can't trust you right now, so I think I'm going to have to take certain precautions to ensure he is out of the picture for good," Tom added, finally letting her go.

"What...what are you going to do?" she asked, her voice wavering with fear.

"Oh, I'M not going to do anything. YOU, on the other hand, are going to break it off with him," Tom informed her as he reached into his pocket to pull out his cell phone.

"You've lost your damn mind if you think I am going to do that."

Tom raised an eyebrow at her. "Oh? Is that so?" he asked, and walked over to the television sitting in the room. He hit the power button, and when the screen turned on Brandy was shocked when images of Mark's house greeted her gaze, some of them of the outside and others throughout the inside of the house. "All I have to do is dial a number, and we get front row seats to the show of a lifetime."

"Wh-what do you mean?"

"What I mean, Brandy dear, is if you don't do exactly what I tell you, you get to watch your little fuckboy's head get chopped off, and that would be just the beginning of what I have done to him. I personally would love to see that performance, but I'm being nice, and leaving it up to you." When she remained silent, he added, "So what'll it be, doll? What kind of call am I making?"

Trying hard to stop her tears, she finally managed to get out, "Call Mark."

Tom sneered. "I knew you would take the fun out of this. Fine, we will do it your way," he replied, and dialed their house phone number. As he held the phone to her ear, she silently begged for the strength to do what she needed to do...

**) ) ) )**

Mark paced back and forth in the main living space, panic building inside of him. He had gone through the entire house, and still had yet to find Brandy. Images of the worst possible scenarios flashed through his head, each one worse than the previous. As he argued with himself over whether or not he should involve the police, the phone suddenly began to ring, and quickly he picked it up. "Hello?" he said, his heart in his throat as he waited to discover who it was.

"Mark?"

Relief filled Mark at the sound of Brandy's voice. "Brandy, oh my god you had me worried shitless. Where the fuck are you? What are you doing?"

"I...I..."

"What? What is it?"

"Mark, I'm leaving you," she suddenly blurted out.

Mark felt as though he had been slapped in the face. "You...I'm sorry, you what?"

"I said I'm leaving you, Mark. I...this just isn't working for me."

"Brandy, where is this coming from?"

"I'm just not happy."

He could not believe what he was hearing. Was this actually happening? "Brandy, will you please come home so we can talk about this?"

"No, I'm not coming back. I'm done, Mark."

"So that's it? Just like that, we're done?"

"I guess so."

Mark scoffed, suddenly furious. "Whatever. Fuck you, Brandy," he growled, and before another word could be said he hung up the phone. Needing to get out of the house, he snatched up his keys, and storming out the front door he made his way to the rental car, unsure of where he would go but knowing he needed to get away from the situation...

**( ( ( (**

As soon as she heard the click, Brandy burst into tears, everything in her being aching from those hateful words. Mark was gone...the one person she needed more than anything else just left her life, and in that moment she had never felt more alone.

Tom laughed as he hung up the phone. "Oh god, that was hilarious to listen to," he commented as he put away his cell phone. "It's so funny how dramatic you both are. 'Fuck you, Brandy'," he mocked, shaking his head as he laughed once more.

"Just leave me alone," she sobbed, turning her face away as she tried to pull as far away from him as she could. "You got what you wanted, you sick fuck."

"Oh Brandy, quit being such a little crybaby," Tom said as he got up and walked closer to her. "You should be happy! Now that he is out of the picture, it's just you and me doll-face."

"I'd rather slit my own throat than be with you," she said through gritted teeth, overwhelmed by the strong emotions running through her in that moment.

Suddenly, he was on top of her, and a blade was pressed painfully into her neck. "That can be arranged," he said in a menacingly low voice. "Go ahead. Is that what you really want? We can make it happen, just say the word."

"Just do it, I don't care anymore. Kill me. I don't give a fuck," she begged, wishing this would all end.

Tom simply stared at her for a moment, and then laughed. "Sorry, you don't get off that easily," he replied, and putting the knife back in his pocket he got up on his knees.

"What are you doing?" she asked in a panicked voice when he started undoing her jeans.

"YOU might not be getting off, but that doesn't mean I won't," he commented as he yanked the article of clothing down her legs.

"No, please don't," she begged, kicking and squirming in an effort to stop him.

Growing frustrated, he threw her pants across the room and grabbed the ball gag to roughly shove it back in her mouth. "You talk too much," he stated as he fastened it, and once it was securely in place he brought his attention back to the task at hand. "You know, it's a shame you let someone else tarnish that pretty little pussy," he added as he undid his jeans, and stepped out of them before getting between her thighs. "Quit moving, bitch!" he snapped when she began to once more squirm, and slapped her hard across the face. Silently crying, Brandy grew limp as she gave up, feeling completely defeated as she laid there motionless. When he pulled out his cock, she looked up at the ceiling, unable to watch what he was about to do, and let out a muffled cry of pain when he suddenly shoved himself inside her. "Shit, I forgot how tight that pussy is," Tom groaned, thrusting into her at a fast and furious pace. Sobbing uncontrollably, she yanked once more at her restraints, her eyes squeezed shut as she silently begged for it to be over. Pushing her shirt up, he squeezed her breast before pinching her nipple so hard she yelped. "I said shut the fuck up," he once more commanded, and slapped her again across the face. Grabbing a handful of her hair, he yanked her head back hard, making her once more cry out in pain. Breathing heavily, he continued to thrust into her with a brutal force, until suddenly his motions grew still as he groaned, and Brandy once more grew nauseous when she felt his warmth invade her. Unable to help herself, she broke down in tears again, screaming out for Mark in her mind. As he got up and adjusted himself, Tom commented, "It's going to be fun having you around again, but right now I'm sick of hearing you." Suddenly, he punched her in the stomach, knocking the wind out of her, before his hands went around her neck, squeezing hard as he looked down at her with cold eyes. Struggling against him, she coughed and wheezed as she tried desperately to catch her breath, but was unable to do so, and mercifully it was not long before her vision grew dark and she went unconscious. Finally letting her go, Tom grinned as he looked down at her limp figure, and giving her one final slap he exited the room, thinking to himself he could not wait for all the things he had planned for her...


	12. Chapter 11

Days came and went in an agonizingly slow manner for Brandy. All she knew anymore was pain. Her soul ached for the one person she loved the most. Her body ached from the torture inflicted on her day after day. It was around month three she lost track of how long she had been where Tom brought her, and it was around this same time she found herself becoming numb to everything. She simply gave up, and accepted her fate. She saw no relief in her hear future, and did not realize it would come sooner than she realized...

**) ) ) )**

Tom had just finished changing into his outfit for the evening, when he heard the ring of his doorbell. Frowning, he made his way to the front door, and when he looked through the peek hole a jolt of panic shot through him when he found two police officers standing there. Taking a deep breath, he quickly regained his composure, before unlocking and opening the door. "Good evening officers," he greeted them with a smile. "How may I help you?"

"Evening, sir, we have evidence of illegal activity going on at this residence, and will be needing to search the premises."

Tom frowned. "What kind of illegal activity, sir?"

"We have video evidence of the unlawful restraint and torturing of a young woman, and the IP address of the computer it came from is attached to this address."

A shocked look came to Tom's face. "I would never do something like that, there must be some big mistake here."

"Do you live with anyone else, sir?"

"No officer, it's just me, but again I can assure you I have never done what you have described."

"That may be, sir, but we still have a search warrant, and we are still legally required to search the property. Now please, sir, if you could let us in, the sooner we get this over with the sooner we can be on our way," the officer replied, and Tom felt a rush of both anger and panic as he stepped aside to let the officers into his home. He silently watched their every move, anticipating when all hell would break loose. Slowly, they made their way through the main floor of the house, on occasion asking questions, and just when Tom thought he might be home free, they came across that one door...

"Sir, do you mind opening this door for us?" one of the police officers asked when he attempted to open the door, but found it locked.

"Oh, that's just a closet. There's nothing in it."

"If there's nothing in it, then you shouldn't mind us checking anyway."

"Is it really necessary? I already told you I haven't done what you are accusing me of. I don't even own a computer. Can't we just call it a day?" Tom asked, trying hard to remain calm.

"Sir, either you open it for us, or we break it down. It's your choice, we are simply trying to do our job here," the other officer stated, clearly trying to keep his patience.

With great reluctance, Tom walked over to the door, and as slowly as possible unlocked it. For a moment, he stood there motionless, and just as one of the officers was about to ask him to move, he quickly opened the door and ran down the steps inside. The two officers quickly followed him down the stairs, where they were greeted to what appeared to be a torture chamber, full of tools and items meant to inflict pain. In the corner of the room sat a desk with a computer on it, and next to it was a camera on a tripod. In the center of the room was Brandy, gagged and chained as she knelt on the floor, and behind her knelt Tom, a gun pressed to the back of her head. "Don't fucking move, or I shoot!" he yelled, and the police officers immediately stopped in their tracks.

"Put the gun down," the first officer commanded, making Tom laugh.

"I ain't doing another goddamn thing you tell me to," Tom spat, grabbing a handful of Brandy's hair and forcing her head up. Weak and confused, she looked at the officers with heavy eyes, not able to comprehend what was going on. "Now get the fuck out of my house, or else I give you a brain shower, you fucking pigs." When he noticed they were slowly moving apart, in an attempt to get closer to him, he yelled as he tugged on her hair, "I said don't fucking move! I swear to God, I will blow her fucking head off!" Finally, the officers stopped once more. His heart pounding wildly, Tom thought hard of what to do. He knew he was fucked, and was not about to surrender. "If I can't have you, doll-face, then no one can," Tom growled in her ear, and pushing her to the ground he aimed to shoot at her, when both officers quickly took fire at him, both of their shots hitting him in the chest. Dropping the gun, he slumped forward, landing on top of Brandy in a heap.

Quickly, the officers rushed over to them, one of them pushing Tom off of her as the other went to her. "Miss, miss, are you okay?" he asked as he gently forced her to look up at him, and shined a light in her eyes when he forced them open. As he further examined her, he saw the blood spreading out on the front of her shirt, and commented, "She has been hit. Quick, call for help." As the other cop ran up the stairs, he looked back down at Brandy, and checked for a pulse, relieved when he found one. "Stay with me, sweetheart," he said aloud, hoping they were not too late in finding her...


	13. Chapter 12

As Brandy slowly woke up, she immediately noticed the sterile scent of a hospital, and the quiet bustle of activity going on outside of the room she was in. Opening her eyes, she looked around at her surroundings with a confused expression. What was she doing in a hospital? When she went to adjust herself, she winced at the pain which jolted through her shoulder, and when she pulled away her gown to look at it, she saw it was bandaged, and frowned. What the hell happened to her?

Just then, one of the nurses walked into the room, and a look of surprise crossed her face when she looked at Brandy. "Well hello there. It's nice to see you awake," she greeted her as she stepped closer to the bed. "My name is Linda, and I am the nurse taking care of you right now. How are you feeling?"

"I'm...okay, for right now," Brandy replied, once more trying to readjust. "I'm just uncomfortable."

"How so?"

"It's mostly my shoulder. It's not unbearable pain, but it's not a nice feeling either."

"On a scale of one to ten, where would you rate your pain right now?"

"Probably a five or six."

Nodding, the nurse looked over Brandy's file, and then at her watch. "It's still a little early, but I think we can go ahead and give you some pain medicine to help with that. Does that sound okay?"

"That sounds great, thank you so much."

Linda smiled down at her. "Is there anything else I can get for you?"

"Some water would be nice."

"Of course, I'll be right back," Linda replied, and walked out of the room. As Brandy continued to look around the room, she noticed the date on the white board on the wall opposite of her bed. Was that accurate? Had it really been six months since Tom got his disgusting hands on her? Or...was this all some sick trick he had planned?

As Linda walked back into the room, Brandy asked, "Is that date accurate?"

Linda looked over at the white board. "It sure is." Brandy simply nodded at this, and watched as she sat down the cup of water she brought in before injecting the pain medicine into Brandy's IV. "You might feel a little groggy from this medicine, just as a forewarning, but it should start providing you relief pretty quickly. Also, in the next hour or so, we will begin taking orders for lunch. When it gets closer to then, I'll bring you a menu so you can look over the options."

"Thank you so much."

"You are very welcome, my dear. Is there anything else I can do for you?" Brandy shook her head. "I will see you in a little bit, then," Linda said with a smile, and made her way back out of the room.

Reaching over, Brandy grabbed the cup of water, and took a long drink before settling back into the bed. Closing her eyes, she tried hard to remember what had happened to get her here, when a quiet knock on the door brought her out of her thoughts. "Come in," she called out, and was taken by surprise when a police officer walked into the room.

"Morning, Miss Daniels, I'm Officer Myers. How are you feeling?"

"I'm doing okay, sir, thank you. How may I help you?"

"I just have some questions to ask you, if that is alright."

"Sure, what is it in regards to?"

A look of confusion crossed his face. "I'm sorry...do you remember anything from last night?"

"Last night?" she echoed, and he nodded. "I...no, I guess I don't."

"Do you know a Tom Wilks?"

Brandy's heartbeat immediately quickened at the mention of his name. "I...I do, sir."

"Do you remember being at his home?"

"Yes, sir."

"What is the last thing you do remember, ma'am?"

"I was just thinking about that, honestly," she replied, and continued to try and recall the events from the past twenty four hours. "I...I remember him bringing me food."

"Do you know what time that would have been?"

"It...I think it might have been around the afternoon? He fed me twice a day, but I never saw a clock so I don't know what time it would have been. I'm sorry."

"No need to apologize, ma'am."

"What...what happened? He...he isn't here, is he?" Brandy asked, the panic once more building in her chest.

"Oh no, no ma'am he isn't. He...Tom was shot last night, by myself and my partner. He was making threats to shoot you, and actually ended up doing so in the midst of everything which had conspired. Do you remember any of this at all?"

Again, Brandy thought hard. "I...he had injected me with something, so everything about last night is so fuzzy, but I think I remember hearing him yell, and him pulling on my hair."

"That was right before the shooting happened."

Brandy nodded. "So...he's gone? He's really gone?"

Officer Myers nodded. "Yes ma'am, he's gone."

Overwhelmed with relief, Brandy began to tear up. "I'm so sorry, it's just..." she started to say, but found herself unable to say anymore as she fought back tears.

He patted her good shoulder. "It's okay, it's all over. We are aware of what was going on. You're safe now, he can't hurt you again." It was at this she fully broke down, and hid her face in her hands as she silently cried. Officer Myers hesitated, before stepping closer and gently pulling her into his arms, shushing her and patting her back in an attempt to comfort her.

Once she was finally able to calm down, she pulled back and wiped her eyes. "I'm so sorry," she said again, embarrassed by her actions.

He gave her a soft smile. "You really don't need to apologize, you've been through a lot of trauma. I would probably do the same thing if I had been in your shoes." She could not help but to give a small laugh at this. "Is it okay if I ask you a few questions?"

"Sure," she replied, and he took out a tape recorder before grabbing a pen and notepad.

"How long had you been there with Mr. Wilks?"

"According to today's date, it was around six months."

"And how did you end up with Mr. Wilks?"

"Someone took me there. I was home alone one night, when someone knocked me out, and when I woke back up I was at his home."

"Did you ever see this person?"

"No, sir."

Officer Myers wrote something down. "Do you know why Mr. Wilks chose to target you?"

Brandy hesitated, before replying, "We had been in a relationship for a number of years when I was younger. It was...about three years ago, now, that I finally got out of the relationship with him. I guess he wasn't over it, he had made the comment multiple times he would rather see me dead than with someone else."

Nodding, Officer Myers once more wrote something down. "During your time with Mr. Wilks, did you ever see anyone else?"

"What do you mean?"

"Was anyone else involved with the abuse Mr. Wilks put you through?"

Taken by surprise by this question, Brandy thought for a moment. "I...can't recall, honestly. He was constantly forcing drugs on me, so a lot of the time during the actual abuse, I don't remember." Looking over at him, she asked, "How did you guys even find me? How did you find out about what was going on?"

"We were given an anonymous tip of abuse being recorded and posted online by Mr. Wilks in his home. We had managed to gather enough evidence to obtain a search warrant, which is when we discovered you in his basement."

Brandy was shocked by this. "He...taped it? He put that disgusting shit out there on the Internet?"

"I'm sorry, Miss Williams, but I'm afraid he did. We are going to work to have it all removed. The reason I asked if there was anyone involved, is because upon further inspection it appears someone else had assisted him in at the very least the recording of these...sessions."

Brandy shook her head at this. "He had a lot of...I guess you would call them associates, so I can't say I'm totally surprised." She remained silent for a moment, before adding, "I just want to be done with all of this. I am so tired of him destroying my life. Whatever you need to do, just do it, but I can't stay involved with this. I can never move on, and fully live my life if I am still being involved with all of his...bullshit."

"I understand, ma'am. We are going to try and involve you as little as possible, which is why I'm here right now, asking you these questions. The more information you can give us, the more likely of a chance we have to find whoever else may have been involved, and the more likely we are to help you put an end to all of this once and for all."

Needing to get him completely out of her life, Brandy replied, "Tell me what you need to know. I'll tell you everything I can, if it means finally putting a stop to this."


	14. Chapter 13

Nervously chewing on her lip, Brandy stared at the phone attached to her hospital bed as she tried to build up the courage to dial that number. Why was she so worried? This was Mark. Surely, once she explained everything, he would understand, and things would be just fine. 'Just do it, and get it over with. You are running out of time,' she thought to herself, and taking a deep breath she finally picked up the phone. Dialing his number, her heart thudded heavily in her chest as she listened to it ring, part of her hoping there would be no answer while the other part of her begged to hear his voice once more.

Suddenly, Mark answered, "Hello?" Brandy went to say something, but her voice remained stuck in her throat. "Hello?" he said again after a moment of silent, and cursing herself in her head she tried again.

"...Mark?"

There was a pause. "...Brandy?" he finally said, the sound of him saying her voice making a warmth spread throughout her entire being.

"Yeah, it's me."

There was another pause. "So what do you want?" he asked, and she immediately noticed the bitterness in his voice.

"I...we need to talk."

"I don't think we need to talk at all, actually."

"Mark, please. I get you're upset with me, I don't blame you, but please let me explain."

"What is there to explain? I didn't make you happy. Things weren't working out, remember? Or did you forget that last conversation we had?"

"No, I remember it. Please, I'm begging you to just let me explain."

"Fine. Explain."

"I...I'm actually in the hospital right now, and I'm supposed to be discharged soon, so I don't have enough time to explain it over the phone. If you could just come get me-" she started to say, when he cut her off with a sarcastic laugh.

"You are so fucking pathetic, Brandy. You're not actually wanting to talk, are you? You just need a fucking ride. Unbelievable. What's the matter? Did the jerk off you left me for get tired of your bullshit and leave you, so now you have no one?"

Tears stung Brandy's eyes at his harsh words. "It's not like that-"

"Please, spare me. You can go fuck yourself. Don't call me again," he shot back, and hung up before she could say another word. Fighting back the urge to completely break down, Brandy took a deep breath as she hung up the phone, and thought hard about what to do next. She had expected him to still harbor resentment, but she had not expected such severe hostility from him...

Once she had managed to somewhat regain her composure, Brandy dialed another number, and as she listened to the phone ring, she went over what she would say. Finally, there was an answer. "Jacobs residence, this is Teresa."

"Teresa, hey, it's me...Brandy," Brandy stated, silently begging for this call to go better.

"...Oh. Hi," Teresa finally replied, the conversation already off to a not so promising start. "What do you want?"

"I...well, I was kind of hoping you could help me out."

Teresa scoffed. "You're seriously asking me for a favor, after what you did to Mark? What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"Teresa, I'm begging you, please just let me explain. It's not what you think, this has all been a huge misunderstanding."

"How in the hell is this a 'misunderstanding'? Please, humor me."

"I...I never wanted to leave Mark, but I didn't have a choice. It...it's complicated. If you could come get me at the hospital-"

"Honestly, you know what, Brandy? I don't want to hear shit from you. It's obvious nothing but bullshit is going to come from your mouth, so don't bother. Oh, and stay the fuck away from Mark, you've caused him enough pain as it is," Teresa shot back, and once again the line was disconnected before Brandy could say another word. It was this which caused Brandy to finally break down, silent sobs shaking her entire body as she put the phone away. She felt so completely, and utterly alone in that moment...

**) ) ) )**

Shaking her head, Teresa put the phone back down, her good mood suddenly soured by the unexpected call from her ex-best friend.

"Who was that?" Glenn asked as he walked into the room.

Teresa turned to face him. "You're not going to believe me." Glenn gave her a questioning look. "It was Brandy," she informed him, his eyes immediately going wide.

"Brandy? Really?" Teresa nodded. "What the hell did she want?"

"Get this, she expected me to give her a ride," Teresa informed him with a scoff. "I can't believe the bitch. She said she wanted to explain things, but I really didn't want to hear it."

Glenn shook his head at this. Seeing she was clearly upset, he asked, "You okay?"

Letting out a sigh, she nodded. "Yeah, I'll be okay. I just wasn't expecting it to be her, of all people." Forcing a smile, she added, "I'm going to check my email, and get some work done."

"Alight," Glenn replied, and leaning down he kissed her forehead before grabbing a drink and walking back out of the kitchen. Exiting the kitchen as well, Teresa made her way into her office, and sitting down at her desk she started up her computer. As she opened her email and began to read through them, her curiosity began to get the better of her, and opening up her web browser she did a search of Brandy's name. She frowned when the first thing to pop up was a news article, and opening the web page she began to read through the article, which discussed the shooting of a man, and the rescuing of a kidnapped woman. Knowing Brandy's history, an unease settled over Teresa as she read further into the story. A disclaimer of disturbing footage was made, before it shared a link to the website created by the kidnapper, and she hesitated before clicking on it. As the new web page loaded, dozens of videos greeted Teresa, all of them involving the description of some form of torture. She again hesitated, before clicking on the first video, and as it began Teresa grew sick to her stomach when the site of a hogtied Brandy greeted her. She watched in horror as this disgusting human being hit, punched and absolutely destroyed the girl Teresa had grown to love. Brandy's entire body was black and blue from the obvious repeated torture, and lying limp all she could do was accept it, the site of her looking so helpless bringing tears to Teresa's eyes. Shaking her head, she stopped the video just as the man began to choke Brandy, and getting up she rushed out of the office.

Glenn was just about to open up his book, when Teresa walked into the living room. Seeing she was clearly upset, he immediately put the book down. "Honey, what is it?" he asked, taken by surprise when she threw herself into his arms as she began to sob. Pulling her into his lap, he softly shushed her as he held her close, not understanding what had upset her so badly. When she finally regained control of herself, he gently pulled back and asked, "What's going on? What's the matter?"

"I...Glenn, I fucked up. I fucked up so bad," Teresa stated, her eyes still shining with tears.

"What do you mean?"

"It...Brandy...she..." Teresa tried to explain, but was unable to form words.

"What? What about Brandy?"

"We have to help. We have to help now," she said, and standing up tried to pull him up as well, but Glenn resisted her.

"Baby, calm down, and tell me what's going on. I'm sorry, I don't get what you're trying to say."

"Brandy needs us, we need to go and find her."

"Why do you give a shit about her again?"

"Because she...just follow me," Teresa replied, and once more pulled on Glenn's hand. This time, he complied with her wishes, and followed her into her office, where she had him sit at her desk. "I really don't know why, but I had decided to search her name, and came across an article about an abducted woman, and her kidnapper being shot. It had a link to the website the kidnapper had made, and on it I found this," she explained, and restarted the video she had been watching.

Looking at the screen, Glenn watched the video as it unfolded. "Is that...?" he started to ask, looking up at Teresa, but could not finish the question. She simply nodded, and looking back at the screen, disbelief filled Glenn as he witnessed unimaginable pain being inflicted upon Brandy. Unable to finish the entire scene, he stopped the video. "I...I don't know what to say to this," he finally said, running a hand through his hair as he absorbed all the information which had been just given to him. "Jesus, who the fuck is that guy?"

"The article never mentioned his name, but I feel like maybe this was her ex...Tom, I think his name was. From the way she has talked, he had been crazy before, but apparently somewhere along the line he completely lost his shit."

"No kidding," he muttered, shaking his head as he looked back at the computer screen.

"Glenn, we have to do something."

"Babe, what are we supposed to do?"

"I don't know, Glenn, I don't know, but we have to do something. She said she was at the hospital, we should go get her." Tearing up once more, Teresa added, "She has no one. Glenn, she's been going through this all alone."

Seeing she was getting upset again, he stood up and hugged her. "Let's go get her, and make things right," he replied, and she nodded in agreement before the two of them quickly made their way out of the house and to their car, both hoping they were not too late...

**( ( ( (**

"Good afternoon, you two, how may I help you?" the lady sitting at the information desk greeted Glenn and Teresa with a smile.

"Yes ma'am, we are wondering if our friend is still here," Teresa explained.

"I'd be happy to look into it for you. What is your friend's name?"

"Brandy Williams."

The lady typed in the name, and did a search, each second of waiting feeling like hours to the both of them. Finally, she shook her head. "I'm so sorry, it looks like you may have just missed her. There was a Miss Brandy Williams which was just discharged about thirty minutes ago."

"Is there any possible chance she might still be in her room?"

"I'm afraid not, ma'am. Once the discharge has been finalized, that means the room has been cleared out."

Teresa let out a frustrated sigh, unsure of what to do from that point forward. "Could you point us in the direction of the unit she had been in? It's important we find her, and we would just like to ask the staff who might have interacted with her if she told them anything."

"Of course, if you go down the hall that way, it will lead you to the elevators. Take them up to the fourth floor, once there make a left until the hall ends, and then make a right. It will lead you right to the unit."

"Thank you, ma'am," Glenn replied, and the two of them made their way to the elevators. Once in there, Glenn glanced at Teresa, and could see the worry on her face. "We're going to find her," he reassured her, making her look up at him and give a small smile.

"I feel like the worst person in the world, right now," she commented quietly, staring ahead at the wall.

"Babe, stop. You're not the worst person, how were you to know? How could we have known this was happening? Obviously, things would have been handled much more differently had we known her situation, but we didn't. All we can do is try to fix things from here."

Teresa gave a heavy sigh. "I know, you're right."

"I always am," he replied with a smirk, and pulled her to him for a quick squeeze just as the elevator doors opened. Walking out, they made their way down the hall to the unit Brandy had been staying in.

As they walked up to the nurse's station, a nurse sitting there greeted them, "Hello there, was there something you needed?"

"Yes ma'am, our friend was discharged about half an hour ago, and we were hoping maybe she had said something to her nurse as to where she would be going."

"Oh, um, well okay," the nurse replied, clearly brought back by their request.

"I know, it's an odd favor. I'd explain, but it's a long story. It's just really important that we find where she went."

"No, no, you are perfectly fine. I'll see what I can do for you. What was her name?"

"Brandy Williams."

"Williams," the nurse echoed, a look of concentration on her face. "I believe I know which nurse was taking care of her. Give me a minute, and I will see if I can grab her for you," she added, and walked away from them. Glenn and Teresa stayed there next to the desk, anxiously waiting for her return.

Finally, the nurse walked back up to them, accompanied by another nurse. "Hi there, my name is Ann. I understand you had some questions for me?" the second nurse asked, thanking the first nurse as she walked away.

"Yes ma'am, were you the one who was helping Brandy Williams when she was discharged a little bit ago?" Teresa asked.

"I was, yes."

"We are friends of hers, and are just trying to figure out where she might have went to. I know it's a long shot, but did she by chance mention where she would be going?"

"We did speak briefly. She had asked how long our cafeteria remained open, and if it were alright for her to sit there while she figured things out. Other than that, I'm so sorry, she did not really say anything else. If I were you, I would take a look down there. If you go down to the first floor, just make a right out of the elevators you came from, it will be on your left. I'm sorry I'm not more help."

"No, no, I appreciate what you told us, thank you," Teresa replied, and with a smile and a small wave the nurse turned around to head back down the hall.

"I guess let's go check down there," Teresa commented, and the two of them made their way back to the elevators to go back down to the first floor. As they walked into the cafeteria area, Teresa silently begged to find her there. Looking around, they made their way through the seating area, and her hope began to fade when there was no sign of Brandy. "She's gone...we're too late," she stated, sinking wearily into one of the seats and burying her face in her hands.

"Hey, it's okay, we are going to find her," Glenn said comfortingly, placing a hand on her shoulder as he sat by her. "We just need to keep trying. Surely, she didn't get that far away. I need to use the restroom, so I am going to do that, and then once I am done we can ask some of the workers in here. Brandy is a very sociable person, maybe she spoke to one of them."

Teresa nodded. "I'm just going to stay here," she replied, and Glenn softly touched her cheek before standing back up and walking back out to the hall. As she sat there, Teresa found her mind wandering back to that video of Brandy. She did not know what exactly she would do, but she planned on doing everything in her power to try and make it up to her. Just as she happened to look up, her heart leaped up into her throat when she saw Brandy walk through the entry of the cafeteria. She strained to look closer, wanting to be sure she was seeing things correctly, and when she more fully faced Teresa, it was obvious to her she was looking at Brandy. "Brandy?" she called out as she stood up, and when their gazes met, Teresa could not stop the tears which came to her eyes. Unable to help herself, Teresa ran towards Brandy. "Brandy, oh my god, Brandy," she added in a choked sob, flinging herself at Brandy. When she yelped in pain, Teresa pulled back. "Shit, are you okay?" she asked, and when Brandy nodded she simply continued to look at her for a moment. Once more beginning to break down, Teresa added as she pulled Brandy back to her, "I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry, I had no idea. I feel like such a piece of shit for how I was towards you."

In shock, Brandy simply stood there, trying to comprehend everything which had just conspired in the last thirty seconds. However, hearing and feeling Teresa made it sink in she was really there, which in return made Brandy's own emotions surface, and returning the embrace she also broke down. "I was so miserable," Brandy cried, holding tightly to Teresa. "I've never felt so alone before."

Teresa simply held her as close as she could without hurting her, vowing to never abandon her friend like she had ever again. When they were able to somewhat regain control of themselves, she pulled back, and ran a hand through Brandy's hair as she commented, "You're really here. I'm actually touching you, I can't believe you're actually here."

Brandy smiled weakly at her. "I'm really here," she replied, and once more Teresa hugged her.

"You're safe. I promise, you're safe now," Teresa whispered in her ear, and Brandy simply hugged her tighter.

Just then, Glenn walked back into the cafeteria, brought back by the sight of the two of them hugging. "Brandy!" he exclaimed, his comment making the two of them pull apart to look over at him.

"Glenn," Brandy stated, her chin quivering as she walked over to him to hug him as well. Leaning down, he lifted her up, allowing her to hug him around the neck as he squeezed her fiercely around the waist.

"Everything is okay now," he murmured, holding her close for a long moment before finally putting her back down.

Wiping the tears from her eyes, Brandy started to say, "You guys, I'm so sorry for everything. It's just-"

"You don't have to explain, we figured it out," Teresa interrupted. "You have absolutely no reason to apologize. We are the ones who should be apologizing to you. I was such a cunt, I'm so sorry for how I was."

Brandy gave a small shrug. "It's okay, you didn't know," she replied. With a frown, she added, "Wait...how...I don't understand?"

Seeing the cafeteria was beginning to get busy, Teresa suggested, "Why don't we head out to the car? Let's go somewhere more private to talk about this."

"You guys...are okay with me coming with you?" Brandy asked hesitantly.

Teresa once more pulled Brandy to her. "You're never getting away from me again," she commented, and grateful to once more feel so wanted, Brandy simply hugged her back.

"Of course we want you to come with us," Glenn reassured her, giving her good shoulder a soft squeeze. "Let's get going, I'm sure you are ready to get out of here."

"You have no idea," Brandy replied, making the other two laugh, and holding onto one another all three of them made their way out of the cafeteria and toward the parking garage. "So...wait, I'm still confused," Brandy stated once they were all in Glenn's truck.

Both Glenn and Teresa turned around to look back at her. "What are you confused about?" Teresa asked.

"I just...how? How did you guys end up here? Teresa, you wanted nothing to do with me when we spoke on the phone, and now it's like nothing happened, like I never left. I just...I guess I don't understand what changed."

Teresa hesitated, before explaining, "Brandy...we found videos of you...videos of what that...that asshole had done to you. As soon as I saw them, I understood what you had been trying to explain over the phone."

A queasy feeling came to Brandy's stomach upon hearing this. "I was afraid of this happening as soon as I found out this shit was out there," she muttered, burying her hands in her face. "I'm so embarrassed."

"Honey, you have nothing to be embarrassed about. This was all beyond your control, you obviously couldn't stop what all he did to you," Teresa commented, reaching back to run a hand through Brandy's hair as Glenn started up the truck and began to make his way out of the parking garage.

Brandy looked back up at her. "I know, I just...it's not exactly something I want out there. It's bad enough that it happened, I didn't really want other people knowing, or seeing such a vulnerable moment."

"I understand," Teresa replied softly, and after a moment asked, "So how are you feeling? What all did they treat you for there at the hospital?"

Brandy shrugged. "I've obviously felt better. He shot me in the shoulder, so they took care of that. Surprisingly, aside from some fractured ribs, I didn't have a lot of injuries from what he had done at the house. My body is still pretty sore, and I have some nasty cuts and bruises, but that is about it. So I guess, really, I'm doing okay...physically, anyway. Mentally and emotionally, I'm pretty fucked up."

"That's going to take a little more time to heal from," Glenn commented, glancing back in the mirror at her. She simply nodded at this, looking out the window at the passing scenery. "Mark is going to be so happy to see you."

Brandy's gaze shot forward at them. "No!"

Both of them looked back at her. "What do you mean, 'no'?" Glenn asked.

"I'm not ready to see him. I..."

"Brandy, why don't you want to see him? I thought that would be the first thing you would want to do, is see him."

"I'm not ready for that. I...honestly, I don't even want you guys seeing me like this, but I didn't know what else to do. I miss him so much, but...I'm just not ready to face him. I'm not in a good place, mentally." Brandy hesitated, before asking, "Does that make me a terrible person?"

"No, not at all. I understand where you are coming from, and once Mark knows I know he will understand too," Teresa reassured her.

"I..."

"What?" Brandy struggled to find her words. "What's wrong?"

Finally, she managed to get out, "I...I was wondering if I could...possibly...stay with you guys? Just until I figure out what I am going to do? I'll pay rent, and whatever you need me to do."

"Brandy, we don't need your money," Glenn insisted. "Of course you can stay with us. Don't you want to go back to your own home, though?"

"I do, I just...I don't know. I can't explain it, I'm just not ready to go back to how things were. I don't think I could do that even if I did want to."

"You can stay with us as long as you need to, but I do think you should reach out to Mark soon. He deserves to know what happened."

Brandy sighed. "Yeah, I know," she replied, and once more looking out of the window she thought about how she would even to begin picking up the pieces of her once more fucked up life.


	15. Chapter 14

Healing was not as easy as Brandy had hoped. While her physical wounds diminished, the emotional wounds left behind were much deeper, and did not seem to want to heal. Part of her knew, if she could just see Mark, it could potentially help, but her fear of his reaction to seeing her overpowered her urge to be reunited. She knew she had a long way to go, before getting back to the girl he had grown to love, and simply was not ready to take the step of facing him again. Whether she liked it or not, however, that day would come much sooner than she ever expected...

It had, up until this point, been a productive day for Brandy. With Teresa's help, she had managed to obtain an at home job, and had spent the better part of the day working on website design and blogging for Teresa's company. For once in a long time, she was feeling somewhat normal. As it approached the evening hours, she had decided to make dinner for her and Teresa, and was in the process of chopping up vegetables when the doorbell rang. Quickly, she washed her hands, and made her way to the living room, humming the tune on the radio as she did so. However, as soon as she opened the front door, her heart dropped down into her stomach and her hands grew numb.

"M...Mark...hi," she finally managed to get out, and simply looked up at him with big eyes. She could see he had been letting his natural hair color show, as his hair fell down his back in a fiery red mane. When he took his sunglasses off, his eyes burned like green flames into hers. Despite the look of disgust he had on his face...he was absolutely gorgeous, and still managed to leave her feeling weak in the knees.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" he asked, looking behind her into the house to see if anyone else was home.

"I...I've been living here," she quietly explained, feeling as though she was about to vomit or pass out.

Mark shook his head. "What bullshit did you tell them, to get them to let your sorry ass live with them?" Brandy simply looked down, not knowing how to respond. "How long have you been back?"

She shrugged. "About a month," she replied, her face hot as it flushed with both shame and fear.

"A month? You've been squatting at their place for a whole fucking month, and never bothered to come around? I guess what we had really did mean shit to you, huh?" he commented.

Brandy's eyes stung with emotion. "It's not like that," she stated, desperately wanting to gather the words she needed to explain things to him. "I...I've wanted to see you, but...I..."

"Please, spare me the bullshit excuses. I honestly don't want to hear it. I'm just sad to see you got to these two. So much for having reliable friends," he replied.

Her tears beginning to silently fall, Brandy without thinking walked toward him. "Mark, please," she began, and went to hug him around the waist when he shoved her back, making her fall to the ground.

"Don't fucking touch me, you slut," he spat at her. "Tell those two fucks they can go to hell along with you. Fuck all of you," he added, and turning around made his way back down to his truck.

Just as he roared out of the driveway and down the road, Teresa, pulled into the driveway after him. As soon as she saw Brandy sitting in the doorway, she quickly got out of her car and ran over to her. "Brandy, are you okay?" Teresa asked, gently grabbing her shoulders, and unable to talk Brandy shook her head. "What happened?"

"M-Mark...Mark..." Brandy tried to explain, but was unable to get out the words she needed.

"Shit, that was him, wasn't it?" Teresa asked, and Brandy simply nodded. "I'm so sorry, this is all my fault," Teresa commented, running a hand through Brandy's hair.

Brandy sniffed, and looked up at her with confused eyes. "What do you mean?"

"I...okay, look, don't get mad at me, but you had been doing so well the last week or so, so I kind of...sort of...invited him over..." When a multitude of emotions crossed Brandy's face, Teresa quickly added, "I was going to help explain everything. I just...you two are meant for each other, and this has been killing me as much as I'm sure it's killing the two of you. I just wanted to help, I'm sorry. I didn't expect him to come over this early."

Brandy gave a weary sigh, suddenly feeling exhausted. "I appreciate the effort, Teresa, but I think I am just going to have to give up on us ever happening again. He's made it pretty obvious he doesn't want anything to do with me."

"If we can just get him to listen-"

"No, really, Teresa, I don't want to burden you with all of this anymore. I'm just...I need to move on. It's that simple." Teresa gave her arm a light squeeze, unsure of what to say to this. "I'm sorry, I was going to make us dinner, but I just can't anymore. I'm going to clean up my mess, and head upstairs," Brandy added as she finally stood up.

Straightening up as well, Teresa watched as Brandy walked back into the house, and with a spark suddenly ignited within her, she made her way back to her car, determined to get Mark to listen once and for all.

**) ) ) )**

Mark had just opened a beer, and took a long swig of it, when there was a loud knock on his front door. Muttering a curse under his breath, he walked over to the door and opened it, groaning inwardly when he found Teresa standing there. "What the hell do you want?" he asked, not in the mood to deal with anyone at that moment.

"Get your ass in the house, we need to talk."

"I'm busy-"

"I don't give a fuck if you are, you are going to let me in, and you are going to hear what I have to say," Teresa demanded, her hands on her hips as she glared up at him.

Rolling his eyes, Mark let out a heavy sigh as he stepped aside to let her in. "So what do you want, Teresa?" he asked once the door was closed.

"You are going to shut your big fucking mouth for once, and listen to what I have to say." Mark raised an eyebrow at her, but remained silent. "How can you just throw away what you and Brandy had?"

"She's the one who-"

"I said shut the fuck up, and let me talk!" Teresa yelled. Holding his hands up, Mark stopped what he was saying, allowing her to continue. "If you would quit being so goddamn stubborn, and give her the chance to explain what happened, you'd know we were all completely wrong about what actually happened with her."

Mark frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Mark, she never left you...not willingly, anyway. She...her ex got a hold of her."

"I don't...I don't understand."

"Her ex kidnapped her, and has had her hostage at his place this whole time."

Mark scoffed. "What, did she tell you that? You actually believe her shit?"

"Mark, I have proof."

"Yeah, okay, like what? A scratch on her arm?"

Teresa had to fight hard against the urge to slap him across the face. "Where is your computer?" she asked, trying hard to remain calm.

"Why?"

"Because I'm going to show you something, that's why, now take me to your damn computer," Teresa replied, and letting out an irritated sigh Mark led her through the house to his study.

"You women are so damn stubborn," he grumbled as he turned on the computer, and once it had fully loaded he moved to let her sit down.

"No, you men are the stubborn ones," Teresa replied as she pulled up a website, and once it had loaded she got back up. "Now sit down, and start watching that video. I really didn't want to have to resort to this, but you are so damn thick-skulled that it's the only way I can get your to believe me."

Rolling his eyes, Mark sat back down, and hitting the play button he watched as the video started. He frowned when the site of a girl tied up greeted him, and his confusion was replaced with shock when the camera zoomed in, and he could see it was Brandy. "Is...is that...no...no, it can't be," he commented, nausea settling over him as a man stepped into the view of the camera, and began to torture her. Hearing her cries, and seeing how helpless she looked made a rush of emotions course through him. His eyes burning, he swallowed hard to fight back tears as he watched the events unfold.

Kneeling next to him, Teresa touched his arm as she stated quietly, "He forced her to call you that night. Brandy said he threatened to have someone kill you if she didn't, and with how batshit crazy he obviously was, I don't doubt he would have gone that far." When he paused the video, unable to watch anymore, she added, "This was her reality, Mark. For six months, this is what she went through, day after day. Do you see now why I wanted you to listen? I obviously don't blame you for being so upset, because you didn't know, but...now you do."

"Please leave," he said quietly, his gaze fixed on the site of Brandy's head being bent back at an unnaturally sharp angle.

"Mark, come back and talk to her. She needs you now more than ever."

"Obviously not, if she has been back for a month now."

"She just didn't want you to see her in the state she has been in. She's very fragile right now, Mark. Try to understand. She asks Glenn about you all the time." Mark could not help but to give a small smile at this. "Look, I'm not asking you to do anything today, because I don't think it would be a good idea. She was pretty shaken up when I left, but I do think you two need to talk, and soon. You both are still clearly not over each other, and all you are doing is torturing yourselves."

Mark gave a weary sigh. "Yeah, yeah, I guess you're right...I just have a lot to think about."

Standing up, Teresa patted his shoulder. "Let me know when you're ready," she said, and walked out of the room when he nodded.

Once more looking at the image of Brandy on his screen, Mark found his head spinning from all the information which had just been thrown at him. He clearly had a lot to take in, and he needed to decide quickly what he should do to get back the woman he loved...


	16. Chapter 15

Alright, I am heading out," Teresa stated as she made her way down the stairs and into the living room.

Brandy looked up from her book at her. "You look nice," she commented with a smile.

"Why thank you. It's been a while since Glenn last saw me, so I figured I'd try to look somewhat presentable," Teresa stated, making Brandy laugh. "Are you sure you don't want to come along? We are going to get some drinks with the guys once I pick him up from the airport."

Brandy sighed. "No, I don't feel up to being around people today."

"I really wish you wouldn't let him get to you like this."

"This has nothing to do with Mark, and everything to do with the fact I am feeling really anxious today," Brandy snapped, taking Teresa by surprise. She quickly added, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap like that. I just...I don't feel up to it, okay?"

"It's okay, sweetie, I understand. I'm sorry if it seemed like I was pushing you, I was just checking to see if you had changed your mind," Teresa reassured her as she walked over to her, and kissed the top of her head. "Could you do me a huge favor, and unload the dishwasher? It should be finishing up soon."

"Yeah, no problem. Be careful, and have fun," Brandy replied, and they shared a smile before saying goodbye as Teresa walked out the door. Opening her book back up, Brandy attempted to get back to reading, but found she simply could not concentrate on the novel, and finally giving up she once more marked her place before setting the book on the coffee table.

Getting off of the couch, she headed into the kitchen to grab something to drink. Just as she was about to open the refrigerator, she felt a hand clamp down on her shoulder, making her let out a piercing scream, which made that hand quickly move from her shoulder to her mouth. "It's me, it's me, Brandy it's me," the person behind her quickly stated, and as soon as she heard their voice she stopped screaming and spun around, looking up at them with wide eyes.

"M...Mark?" she said, staring at him in disbelief.

He hesitated, before reaching up to softly touch her cheek as he said simply, "Hi."

J

ust from this small gesture, her face crumpled as she began to break down. "Mark," she choked out as she reached out for him, and he quickly pulled her in, lifting her into his arms as he held her tight to him. "I've missed you so much," she sobbed, clinging to him as she cried into his shoulder.

Remaining silent, he carried her back into the living room, and sat down on the couch with her in his lap. "Shh, I'm here now," he whispered, stroking her hair as he fought back his own tears. For a long moment they sat there in silence, holding tight to each other as if the other would disappear if they let go. When she finally managed to calm down, he gently pulled her back, and pushed her hair back from her face.

"I'm so sorry, Mark. I-"

"Shh, baby, you have nothing to apologize for. I'm the one who needs to apologize. I should have never treated you the way I did."

"You had every reason to be upset."

"Yeah, but I was a stubborn ass, and refused to listen to you. I was unnecessarily harsh to you, and I am so ashamed for not only how I spoke to you, but also for putting my hands on you." Shaking his head, he added quietly, "I don't deserve you."

"Mark, it's okay, I understand. I'm not upset with you," Brandy reassured him, and took his hands in hers.

As he looked at her, he found tears once more coming to his eyes as visions of the videos he watched crossed through his mind. "I thought I had lost you for good," he commented, clearing his throat when his voice cracked slightly, and unable to help himself he once more pulled her back to him as he added, "I almost DID lose you."

"I thought I'd never see you again, too," she replied, hugging him fiercely around the neck. As she began to once more cry, she whispered, "I was so scared, Mark."

"I know, baby. I'm so sorry for all of this, I should have been here," he said as he stroked her hair, and after a moment added, "You're never leaving my sight again." Brandy gave a small laugh as she pulled back to look at him. Smiling at her, he gently wiped away her tears, his eyes in that moment filled with nothing but love as he looked at her. "I love you so much, Brandy."

Her chin quivering, she replied in a broken voice, "I love you too, Mark."

"What's with the tears, darlin'?"

"I...I've been so afraid this whole time that you've moved on...that you didn't love me anymore."

"Baby, I never stopped loving you. Even after that call, I still loved you like crazy. I'll admit, I tried damn hard to move on, but you...you've got one hell of a hold on me."

Brandy could not help but to smile at this. "Is it...may I kiss you?" she asked shyly, and he couldn't help but to find her impossibly adorable in that moment. Once more pushing her hair back, he took her face in his hands, and simply stared at her for a moment before leaning forward to kiss her softly, the sparks of electricity they both felt leaving them breathless. "I forgot what a good kisser you are," she commented once she forced herself to pull away for air, her words making him chuckle.

"I've missed those sweet lips," he replied, and once more kissed her, this time deeper and more passionate. Tangling her hands in his hair, she kissed him back willingly, sighing when she felt his hands stroke her back. "I've missed all of you, darlin'," he whispered against her lips as his hands made their way beneath her shirt to caress her bare skin.

"I've missed you too," she whispered back, tugging on his shirt to pull it from his jeans.

"Baby, wait," he said, forcing himself to stop her when he felt her unbuttoning his jeans.

She frowned. "What?"

Gently grasping her hands, he pulled them up and softly kissed them before commenting, "Maybe we should slow down. I don't want to move too quickly into something you're not ready for."

Touched by his concern, she leaned forward to once more kiss him. "I'm okay, I promise. Please, Mark...I need you...I need you to help me feel normal again."

"Tell me what you need me to do, baby."

Biting her lip, she toyed with his fingertips for a moment, before bringing his hands to cover her breasts as she replied, "I want you to make love to me." Groaning in the back of his throat, he gently gave them a squeeze, and leaned forward to kiss and suck her neck as he once more reached beneath her shirt to directly touch her bare breasts. This made Brandy whimper and rock her hips against him, the rekindled lust she had lost for so long quickly beginning to consume her. "Take me upstairs," she whispered, and gave a squeak of surprise when he abruptly stood up, giggling when he gave her ass a quick slap before swiftly carrying her up the stairs and into her bedroom.

Once there, he kissed her deeply as he placed her back on her feet, and as soon as he pulled away he swiftly discarded of her clothes before lying her down on the bed. As he went to admire her bared form, sparks of anger shot through him at the sight of marks marring her beautiful skin.

"I wish it had been me who killed him," he commented with a growl, and when he noticed her trying to cover up he looked back up at her face. "Darlin', no, you're so beautiful," he reassured her.

"No I'm not, Mark, look at me."

"I AM looking at you, baby, and you still leave me as speechless as you did the first time I saw you." As he began to press kisses all over her, he added, "You're absolutely perfect."

Brandy flushed at this, and watched him as he slowly moved down her body, her heartbeat quickening the closer he grew to that special place. As soon as he reached her waist, he immediately began to devour her, tasting her like it were the last time he would be able to do so. Her eyes rolling back, she grabbed at him anywhere she could reach, and bit her lip hard as she watched him. Hearing the noises of approval he made, and feeling his hands stroking her thighs only made her spiral higher and higher that much faster. "Shit," she groaned when he suddenly slid a finger inside her, and when he started curling it just right, she trembled as she fell apart. He continued his administrations until he felt her slump, and quickly made his way back up her, sharing with her how she tasted as soon as they were once more level. "Please let me taste you," she begged when he pulled back, and again grabbed at the waist of his jeans.

She went to protest when he backed away, but stopped and simply watched as he stood at the end of the bed, and slowly peeled off item after item of clothing, until he was gloriously naked. When they made eye contact, he crooked a finger at her, this small gesture making her clit ache with want. Not needing to be told twice, she joined him at the foot of the bed, kneeling before him on the bed as he stood there.

Not saying a word, he grabbed a handful of her hair and gently but firmly forced her down onto all fours, putting her at eye level with his cock. Applying more pressure, he forced her closer, and looking up at him she ran her tongue along the tip of his cock before taking it in her mouth. His eyes slipping shut, a growl rumbled in his chest when she managed to completely take him in, and looking back down at her he kept a hold on her hair as he admired the way she pleasured him. "God, you're so fucking good at that," he sighed, his hips beginning to move with her motions. Having missed this, she alternated between running her tongue along him in long licks, and swallowing him down her throat, the sighs and groans he gave only making her move more enthusiastically. When he could feel a tingling beginning to form deep in his groin, Mark forced himself to stop her, and gently pulling her back up he leaned down to crush his lips against hers, kissing her urgently as he moved them to where he was lying over her on the bed. "I missed you so fucking much," he whispered, pressing his hips into hers so that his cock rubbed against her clit.

Taking him by surprise, Brandy suddenly rolled them to where she was above him, her actions making both of them laugh. Leaning down, she kissed him once more as she reached between them to stroke him. Mark moaned into her mouth when she suddenly sank down onto his aching cock, the feeling of her tightness surrounding him taking his breath away. "I've missed you too," she whispered against his lips, and pulling back she sat up as she began to ride him. Bracing her hands against his hard chest, she started out slow, giving herself the chance to adjust to him. It had been so long, it was as if it were their first time together all over again.

Grasping her hips, Mark moved fluidly with her, watching her intently as he reacquainted with her form with both his hands and eyes. Part of him expected to wake up at any moment, and for all of this to end up being nothing more than a dream, but the feeling of her hands on his skin and the sweet sound of her whimpers in his ears told him this was very much his current reality. "God, you feel so good," he sighed when she began to move faster, his eyes rolling back when she squeezed around him. Her urges getting the better of her, Brandy continued to quicken her movements, until they were just short of frantic. "Fuck me, baby. Fuck me good," he growled through gritted teeth, gripping her hips so tight she knew there would be bruises.

"Oh god, I'm gonna cum, Mark," she whimpered, desperation on her face as her nails bit into his chest.

"That's it, cum for me, baby. Cum on my cock," he demanded, his words pushing her over the edge. Loudly crying out for him, her entire body trembled and jerked as spasming waves of pleasure drowned her, and securely holding her up he watched her with lustful awe. "I love watching you cum," he commented once she quieted down, cupping her face in his hands.

"Well I love when you make me cum," she quipped, making them both laugh, and leaning down she kissed him deeply, quickly becoming once more engulfed in a haze of lust.

Wrapping his arms around her, Mark rolled over to where he was once more above her, and pulling back he simply looked down at her for a moment, before whispering, "I love you."

"I love you too," she whispered, moaning softly when he started gently thrusting into her. Just as they were about to once more get lost in one another, Mark firmly grasped her wrists and pinned them down with one of his, which immediately triggered a jolt of panic within her. "No, no, please no," she frantically begged, and began to struggle against him. In shock, Mark quickly let her go, backing away when she sat up and scrambled up against the headboard.

"Hey, it's okay," he tried to reassure her, reaching out to her, and frowned when she flinched away from him. "Brandy, I'm not going to hurt you," he added, unsure of what to do. As she clutched her knees to her chest, he could see she was visibly shaking as her eyes brimmed with tears.

"I...I'm sorry, it's just...Tom...he..." she tried to get out, fighting to prevent her tears from falling, but was unable to form a coherent sentence.

Once more, Mark reached out for her, and when she did not flinch away this time he pulled her to him, wrapping her up tight in his arms. "Shh, it's okay, I understand. I'm sorry, that was stupid of me," he murmured, softly stroking her hair.

"All I could see is his face when you did that," she admitted, holding tight to him as she buried her face in his shoulder. When she finally pulled back, she added, "Sorry if I killed the mood."

He smirked at this, and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear as he replied, "We can stop, if you need to."

Brandy shrugged. "Maybe with a little coaxing, we can get back to where we were. Just...you know, maybe don't do that again," she stated, making him laugh, and grasping her chin Mark once more kissed her. What started out soft and sweet quickly grew passionate and lustful as the two of them fell back against the mattress, and he once more settled between her thighs. Reaching down, Mark teased her with the tip of his cock, and when he managed to pull a whimper from her he finally eased back into her.

"So do you want me to stop?" he asked, giving long, slow thrusts into her as he did so.

"No, no, please don't."

"Please don't what?"

"Don't stop...please don't stop," she begged, her hands running along and scratching at his back.

Bracing himself up on his elbows, Mark tangled his hands in her hair and watched her as his thrusts grew quicker and deeper, a growl rumbling in his chest when he felt her small hands slide lower to grab his ass. He would be lying if he said he had not slept with other women since Brandy left, but any other experiences he had would never compare to when he made love to her. With Brandy, he could feel his entire being connect with her, both physically and spiritually. "I'm never letting you go again, darlin'. You're mine," Mark panted, exerting as much strength as he could into his motions. He could feel the end approaching, and desperately needed her to come with him.

"Yes, Mark."

"Say it. Let me hear you say you're mine, darlin'."

"I'm yours...oh god, Mark, I'm yours," she whimpered, and crushing his lips to hers Mark moaned into her mouth as he came long and hard within her, his orgasm immediately triggering hers. He continued to ride her until the waves finally subsided, and groaning he carefully pulled out of her before rolling onto his back. Staring up at the ceiling, the both of them laid there in exhausted silence as they took in what had just conspired, the only sound that of their heavy breathing. It was Brandy who finally moved first, rolling onto her side to face him. Looking over at her, Mark smiled softly, and she smiled back. "Mark, I don't...I don't understand..."

"Shh," he quietly shushed her, and reaching over pulled her snugly to his side. "We can talk in the morning. Right now, I just want to hold you and enjoy this moment. I've been wanting this for so long...I'm still trying to grasp that all this is real."

Smiling at this, she pressed a kiss to the center of his chest and held onto him just as tightly. "Well if this is a dream, I hope I never wake up," she replied, making him chuckle.

"Here's to never waking up, then," he commented, making her giggle, and kissed the top of her head before pressing his cheek to her hair. Just as he was about to fall into a content sleep, he whispered, "I love you, Brandy."

"I love you too," she sighed, and quickly followed him in slumber.


	17. Chapter 16

As Glenn and Teresa stumbled into the house, drunk and giggling, Glenn struggled to lock the door as Teresa hug onto his waist.

"Shh, you need to be quiet," he whispered as he turned back around, and when they looked at each other they both fell into another fit of laughter.

"We...we are going to wake up Brandy," Teresa said between laughs, trying hard to calm herself down. When she went to walk away, she ended up tripping over her own feet and fell to the floor, dissolving into another burst of giggles as she simply laid there.

"Woman, you are hopeless," Glenn groaned, and as he leaned down to help her up he added, "I'm too drunk for this shit."

Together, they managed to get her back up onto her feet, and Teresa squealed when Glenn suddenly hoisted her up over his shoulder. "Glenn, put me down," she laughed.

"No, you obviously can't use your feet," he commented as he started heading toward the stairs, and stopped when he stumbled a bit as well.

"You obviously can't use yours as well," she replied, and giving in he put her back down.

"Yeah, that probably isn't the smartest idea I've had," he chuckled, and wrapping an arm around her shoulders the two of them finally made their way upstairs.

"Hey, wait," Teresa said with a frown as they reached the top of the stairs.

"What's wrong?"

"All the lights are on."

"So?"

"Brandy never leaves the lights on."

"She obviously must have forgot. Maybe she was really tired, it happens."

"I don't know," Teresa protested as they headed down the hall, and stopped once more. "Okay, her bedroom door is open. Now I KNOW something is wrong."

"Why does that matter?"

"Glenn, none of this is the norm for her. Do you not find it odd?"

"Well, yeah, it's a little odd, but I'm sure there is a rational explanation."

"Well, I'm going to check on her," Teresa replied, and walked into Brandy's bedroom depsite Glenn's protests. Squinting, she looked around as she allowed her eyes ro adjust to the darkened atmosphere, and grew uneasy when she noticed the abnormally large shape under the covers. Walking closer to the edge of the bed, Teresa struggled to get a better view of who was in the bed, but was only able to make out a dark lump. She hesitantly reached out, and paused for a moment before finally touching what she could tell was a very large, very muscular arm. She jumped when a deep groan suddenly rumbled from the figure, making it quite obvious it was not Brandy, and screamed loudly as she stumbled backward to the ground.

"Teresa!" Glenn yelled as he charged into the doorway just as the bedside lamp switched on.

"What the hell is going on?" Mark growled, a scowl on his face as he looked over in a sleepy confusion between Glenn and Teresa.

Teresa covered her mouth with her hands as she looked up at Mark with wide eyes, and seeing Brandy peek over Mark at her made her realize what exactly was going on. "I...I'm sorry...I thought..." Teresa stammered, trying to explain herself, and unable to help herself she once more burst into laughter as she laid back on the carpet. "I'm so sorry, guys," she laughed, covering her face with her arms.

"Teresa, get your drunk ass up," Glenn commented, shaking his head as he hoisted her back up to her feet. "Sorry guys, we obviously need to go to bed," he chuckled as he led her to the door, making Brandy and Mark laugh.

"The hell is wrong with you guys," Mark laughed, shaking his head as he laid back.

"I thought something was wrong with Brandy!" Teresa called back over her shoulder in an attempt to defend herself.

"Just get your ass in bed," Glenn stated, giving her rear a playful swat. "Sorry again, guys. Night."

"Night," Mark and Brandy called out, and once they were behind a closed door they settled back down into each other. "What time even is it?" he commented, glancing over at her alarm clock, and groaned when he saw it was only two in the morning. "I'm going to kill them."

Brandy laughed. "Don't be such a grump, we can sleep in as late as we want," she replied, and leaning up kissed him before snuggling back into his chest.

Closing his eyes, Mark indulged in the feel of her skin against his, and how good her soft touch felt as she idly caressed his tummy, when he felt her hands slowly inching lower. Not paying attention, he could feel himself about to drift back to sleep, when he suddenly noticed the distinct feeling of her poking his cock with her finger. "Can I help you?" he asked, amused by the playfulness of her action, and could feel her shrug.

"I was just trying to wake him up."

Mark chuckled at this. "And why is that?"

"Because I like him."

"Oh, do you, now?"

"Mhmm," she replied simply, and he made a noise of surprise when she suddenly took him in her hand.

"Did you not get enough earlier?"

"I never get enough with you," she purred in his ear, and playfully bit his earlobe, as she stroked him slowly. Turning his head, he captured her lips in a soft kiss, his hips arching up into her touch as he quickly grew rock hard.

His mind having become a lustful haze, he was jolted back to reality when she suddenly stopped, and looked at her in disbelief when she shuffled further down into the covers, clearly getting settled to go back to sleep. She yelped with surprise when he moved swiftly, hovering over her as he glared down at her. "Do not start what you don't plan to finish, little girl," he growled, pressing his hips into hers to let her feel what she had done to him.

Biting her lip, she giggled, and before he could react she was suddenly flipped over onto her stomach, and purposely pressed her ass up into his erection. "Don't worry, I plan on helping you take care of it," she replied, looking over her shoulder at him with a playful look in her eyes.

Once more growling, Mark got up onto his knees and pulled her with him, forcing her up onto her hands and knees with him. Brandy gasped when she suddenly felt his fingers on her nether lips, lightly caressing her small clit as he made sure she was ready. When he could feel how wet she still was for him, he immediately sank into her, his hand clamping over her mouth when she loudly cried out. "Shh, you don't want to wake them up," he whispered in her ear, and when she nodded he straightened back up as he began to slowly ease in and out of her.

"Fuck me hard, Mark, I'm going to cum fast," she whispered as soon as he moved his hand from her mouth, and when she looked back at him again her eyes were this time filled with lust and pleading.

Letting out a shuddering breath, Mark tightly grasped her shoulder for leverage as he steadily built up his speed, until he was thrusting into her at a frantic pace. Just then, the two of them heard moans coming from the other room, making it obvious sex was on not just their minds. Giving a low chuckle, Mark commented, "Sounds like we got competition." Leaning back down, he added as his fingers once more found her clit, "Let's see if we can get there first, baby."

Her eyes rolling back, Brandy clutched the sheets as she moved back against him, the pressure within her building up strong and fast. "Shit, I'm going to cum...cum in me, please cum in me..." she begged, teetering dangerously on the edge of bliss.

"Oh god, me too...wait...wait...fuck now, now...oh fuck!" he groaned, squeezing her shoulder tightly, and as soon as she felt his warmth flood her she fell apart as well, covering her mouth with her hand to try and muffle her cries of pleasure. For a moment they remained motionless, still joined together, until Mark finally moved first. Letting out a quiet groan as he pulled from her, he kissed her shoulder before collapsing back down onto the bed, his breathing still heavier than normal. When Brandy retook her spot of being curled up into his side, he pulled the covers back up over them before wrapping her back up in his arms. Just as he was about to kiss her, there were suddenly a few loud thumps against the wall from room next to theirs, followed by muffled curses and shouts of passion. The two of them looked at each other, and burst into a fit of laughter.

"Looks like we won," Brandy commented, raising her hand in the air, and laughing harder Mark gave her a high-five.

"I love you so much," he chuckled, and once his laughter subsided he kissed her softly. "Now sleep, woman."

"Yeah, yeah," she muttered, playfully pinching his nipple. "I love you too," she added, grinning when she felt him kiss the top of her head, and nuzzling her cheek against his chest she gave a content sigh before falling back into a deep sleep with him.


	18. Chapter 17

The following morning, as Brandy woke, a grin immediately spread across her face at the feel of Mark's warm, hard body pressed snugly into hers. It had been far too long since she last woke up feeling this peaceful and safe. Wrapping an arm around his midsection, she gave him a squeeze, still trying to comprehend this was her reality. For so long, she desperately yearned to have this back, and it was surreal to think he was actually there, sleeping peacefully next to her.

Getting up on her elbow, Brandy simply watched him for a long moment, studying every last detail of his face. Every single night since she had been taken away, she fell asleep with the last image in her head being that of his face, and it was apparent to her, her memory had not done justice to just how handsome of a man he truly was. Brushing his hair back from his face, she leaned down to softly kiss his lips, and was taken by surprise when he gently cupped her head as he kissed her back.

"Mm, mornin' darlin'," he mumbled when she pulled back, smiling sleepily up at her.

"Morning," she replied with a smile, and kissed him once more. "How did you sleep?"

"I had you in my arms, so I slept great," he stated, making her give a sheepish grin.

"It's nice having my teddy bear back," she admitted as she buried herself back against him, making him chuckle. The two of them laid there in silence for a moment, before she added, "So...what now?"

He glanced down at her. "What do you mean?"

"I mean...what now? What is going to happen between us? Are we supposed to act like everything is fine, and nothing ever happened? Because I don't know if I can do that."

Mark knew they had a serious discussion coming, and apparently she was wasting no time in getting down to it. Sighing, he turned on his side to where he was facing her and said, "I don't expect you to act like nothing happened. This was obviously a very serious situation both of us were put through. It's going to take some time, and we are going to have to work through things, but...I like to think what we have is worth that."

Brandy could not help but to smile at this. "You are more than worth it, Mark. I just...I guess I just feel broken again."

"How so?"

"I feel like I did when I first left Tom, only this time it's much worse, because he obvious took it to a whole new level. I'm...I'm not sure if this is something I can come back from this time."

"Darlin', we will work through this together. Whatever you need me to do, I'll do. Whatever resources you need, I will get you. I will do anything within my power for you, as long as it means I get my girl back."

Again, Brandy smiled, and leaned forward to kiss him. "I never stopped being your girl, Mark," she commented quietly, and it was his turn to smile. "So...what made you come here last night? When I saw you last, you had pretty strong feelings, and didn't really seem to want anything to do with me. Obviously, something must have happened between now and then."

Mark hesitated, before replying, "I saw, Brandy." When a confused expression crossed her face, he added, "I saw...I saw what Tom did to you...what he recorded. I watched them all...I couldn't stop myself once I started." Brandy was taken by surprise when tears suddenly began to form in his eyes. "Seeing him put his hands on you...and hurt you...and...just knowing I was so angry with you that whole time...this whole time that you needed me the most, I just..."

A sick feeling came to Brandy's stomach at knowing Mark had witnessed it, but seeing him struggle to keep from falling apart made her focus on him. Touching his face, she said quietly, "Mark, you didn't know. None of you did."

"I should have known better. I should have known something wasn't right. Everything about that call was so unlike you, and..." he started to say, when his emotions once more got the better of him, and as a few stray tears escaped he finally got out, "I just should have been there for you, and I don't think I can ever forgive myself for deserting you like I did."

Her heart breaking, Brandy pulled him into her arms, and as she held him she could feel him slightly trembling as he fought down his emotions. "I love you with all my heart, Mark. That never changed, and it never will change," she reassured him as her fingers idly sifted through his hair. When he pulled back to look at her, she softly kissed him before adding, "I think it's safe to say we both have a lot of recovering to do."

Simply looking at her, Mark nodded before kissing her forehead. "I hope you know I meant what I said last night...I can't leave you behind like I did before. I can never stay away from you like that again...so I either need you to come with me on the road...or I need to start planning for my retirement."

"Mark-"

"Brandy, please don't fight me on this. I almost lost you. I can't go through something like this again...please try to understand where I am coming from."

Once more touching his face, Brandy replied, "If you'd let me talk, you big goober, I was going to say I could never be the reason you retire...so I would love to go on the road with you, if that is what you want."

Relieved, Mark tackled her to the bed, making her squeal with laughter as he pressed kisses all over her face. Smiling down at her, he kissed her lips lovingly before rolling back over onto his back, bringing her with him as he did so. As he played with her hair, the two of them laid intertwined for a moment before he broke the silence by saying, "I think I am going to ask Vince for an extended leave, just while we try to get back into a somewhat normal routine. I want to make sure you are as comfortable as possible before we take this step, because traveling like this can take a lot out of you. You're already going through a lot, I want to avoid adding any additional problems for you."

"Mark, I appreciate your concern, but I'll be okay. I like to think I'm a pretty tough girl, and I think I can handle being on the road with you."

He could not help but to smile at this. "You are the toughest person I know, baby, I'm not denying that. It's just...I just want you happy, and I want to make sure you're okay."

Brandy smiled back. "You're always thinking of me," she commented, and felt him give her a light squeeze. "You're right, though. I think some time of just you and me would be best...if it's possible, that is. I don't want to get you in trouble with Vince."

Mark laughed at this. "Vince would do damn near anything I asked of him, as long as it meant him keeping me around. Trust me, darlin', this isn't going to get me in trouble," he reassured her, and pressed a kiss to her head before adding, "Come on, let's go take a shower. I want to get you settled back at home so I can finally have you all to myself again."

Brandy grinned at this, and giggled when he pulled her out of the bed with him and placed her carefully on her feet. Taking his hand in hers, she led him to the bathroom attached to her bedroom, where they both got into the shower together. As he wet his hair, Brandy could not help but to let her eyes slide over his impressive physique, from his sculpted arms and shoulders down to the tight curve of his ass. When he turned to face her, her gaze involuntarily went to where his cock laid nestled in a bed of curls between his strong thighs, and when she looked back up her cheeks grew hot when she realized he caught her staring.

"See something you like?" he asked teasingly, chuckling when she grinned and shrugged her shoulders.

"He's just...there, I can't help it if he caught my attention."

Mark laughed once more. "Come here, beautiful," he replied, holding his hand out to her, and when she stepped closer to him he tenderly smoothed his hands over her hair as he ensured it was thoroughly wet. Cupping her face, he brought his gaze to her eyes, and simply stared at her for a moment before leaning down to kiss her. What started out as an innocent kiss quickly turned heated, and Mark groaned when he felt her take his hardening cock in her hand. "It feels to me like you really like him," he added breathlessly, groaning once more when she began to stroke him.

"I like what he does for me."

"Oh yeah?" She nodded. "And what's that?"

Brandy bit her lip, before replying, "He makes me cum harder than I've ever cum before."

Mark grinned at this. "Is that something you're wanting him to do for you right now?" Smiling innocently up at him, she quickly nodded once more. "I thought we were in here to shower?"

"We are, the shower isn't going anywhere anytime soon."

Chuckling, Mark took her by surprise when he grabbed her around the waist and suddenly lifted her up, to where they were eye level. "I love you," he commented, knowing this confession was beginning to become excessive but unable to help himself. He had went so long without being able to properly say it, and now it was as if he could not say it enough.

Brandy simply smiled, and touched his cheek. "I love you too," she replied, and kissed him softly. As she did so, he suddenly lowered her onto his thick erection, his action making her moan into his mouth as her nails dug into his arms. "Shit," she hissed when she pulled back, biting her lip hard.

"You okay?" he asked as he slowly thrusted his hips into hers, and quickly she nodded.

"I'm perfect," she replied with a smile, and smiling back he kissed her once more as his hips drove quicker into hers.

"So are you sure it's me you love, and not him?" Mark asked teasingly, making her giggle.

"You, silly. Although, he _is_ attached to you, so that means I must love him too," she replied, making him laugh.

"Well he said he loves you too, and that he wants you to cum all over him," Mark murmured, and the atmosphere quickly grew serious as his motions turned into short stabs.

"Please don't stop, I'm getting so close," Brandy whispered, her legs locking around his waist in an effort to draw him in even deeper.

"Me too...cum for me, baby," he panted, his nails biting into the globes of her ass. As soon as he felt her spasm around him and heard her whimper his name, he pressed his face into her shoulder and let out low moans as his climax washed over him, before finally slumping into the wall.

For a long moment, they remained wrapped up in one another as they came down from their sexual highs, until Brandy finally broke the silence by complaining, "The water is getting cold."

"Hey, you wanted it," he commented as he placed her back on her feet, chuckling when she playfully swatted at his chest.

"Yeah yeah, I know, I asked for it. Now turn the hot water up, and lets finish this shower up before we become permanent prunes," she replied, and obliging Mark reached over to add more hot water before they quickly finished their shower. Once out, they stepped back into the bedroom area, where they dried each other off before getting dressed. "It smells like someone else is up," Brandy commented when she noticed the scent of coffee. "Are you hungry?"

"After the last twelve hours we've had, I'd say yeah, I'm pretty hungry," Mark stated, chuckling when he saw her blush.

"Well let's go make some breakfast, then," she replied, and walking hand in hand the two of them made their way downstairs, where they found both Glenn and Teresa already in the kitchen making food. "Hey, good morning you two. I'm surprised you're up already," Brandy stated as she walked over to the cabinet next to the sink, and grabbed a couple of mugs for her and Mark.

"It wasn't by choice," Teresa grumbled, making Brandy laugh. "Glenn neglected to inform me he had an appointment this morning, and somehow I let him talk me into accompanying him."

"Hey, we made an agreement, woman. Don't make it sound like I'm forcing you into joining me," Glenn retorted, looking up at her over his newspaper. Teresa responded by flipping him the bird, which made them all laugh.

"Anyway, are you guys hungry? I was just about to make us some breakfast to try and soak up all that liquor I can still feel," Teresa asked as she placed eggs on the counter, before walking over to Mark to give him a hug. "I am going to assume since you stayed overnight in the same bed as her, that means you finally pulled your head out of your ass?"

"Fuck you," Mark chuckled, giving her a squeeze before playfully pushing her away.

"Teresa, you know Mark is as stubborn as Glenn, if not more stubborn," Brandy commented, giggling when he tickled her side before pulling her tightly to him. "And yes, we would love some breakfast, thank you. Would you like some help?"

"Oh no, I've got this. Coffee is done, though, feel free to help yourself to some," Teresa replied as she cracked open one last egg, and began to whisk them all together.

"So what does this mean for you two?" Glenn asked as Brandy poured coffee, motioning between her and Mark.

"Well, as grateful as I am of you two taking care of my girl for as long as you did, I think it's time for her to come home. We are going to take some time to ourselves for a while, before she joins me on the road," Mark replied.

Teresa put down her spatula and spun around to look at Mark. "First, you scare me shitless in the middle of the night in my own house. Now, you're telling me you're taking my best friend away from me? What the hell is wrong with you, Mark?"

Mark grinned for a split second, but his smile quickly left when he realized she was not joking. "Did...I do something wrong?" Shaking her head, Teresa tossed down the towel she had been using, and remaining silent walked out of the kitchen and up the stairs. Completely baffled, Mark looked back and forth between Brandy and Glenn. "Did I say something wrong?"

"If you guys keep an eye on the food, I'll go check on her," Brandy replied, and gave Mark's arm a light squeeze before making her way up the stairs as well.

Stopping in front of the master bedroom, she gave a quiet knock, and was greeted to a muffled but distinct, "Fuck off."

"Teresa, it's Brandy. Can I come in?" she called out. There was a moment of silence, until finally the door cracked open, and Teresa allowed her to walk into the room. Once behind a closed door, Brandy asked, "What was that down there?" Wrapping her arms tightly around herself, Teresa turned her back to Brandy and weakly shrugged. "No, come on, talk to me. What's going on? I thought you would be happy to finally get me out of your hair."

When Teresa finally turned back around, Brandy was surprised when she saw tears in her eyes. "It's just..."

"What?"

"I don't want to see you hurt again, and I don't want to lose you again. You're my best friend, Brandy, and it was hard enough losing you once..." Shaking her head, Teresa looked down as she added quietly, "I'm sorry, I guess I just feel a little bit protective of you after everything that's happened."

Stepping forward, Brandy pulled Teresa to her for a tight hug. "Hey, you're not going to lose me, okay? All of that is in the past. Tom's gone for good, and you know Mark is nothing like him. Plus, I'm going to have him and Glenn around me all the time. Nothing like that will ever happen again, I'm not going anywhere."

"Yeah, but you're going to be gone all the time like Glenn now. What am I supposed to do with my time now?"

Brandy smirked at this as she pulled back. "I'm only a phone call away. Not to mention you know Glenn will let you come with him anytime you want, we both know he would love that. We've got options, silly. You're getting upset over nothing."

Teresa let out a heavy sigh. "I know, I'm sorry. I guess I've been extra emotional here lately."

"Why?"

Teresa hesitated, before starting, "Well...there's a chance...I might be..."

When she did not finish her sentence, Brandy frowned in confusion, but once she finally realized what Teresa was trying to say here eyes grew wide. "No!" she gasped, covering her mouth with her hands, and when Teresa nodded she gave a squeal of excitement.

"Shh, I haven't told Glenn yet!" Teresa whispered, glancing over at the door, and nodding Brandy quieted down. "I see my doctor on Wednesday, so I find out for sure then, but I'm pretty positive I am."

With a wide grin, Brandy once more hugged Teresa tightly, when they suddenly heard the smoke alarm going on. "Oh shit, the food!" she cried out, and the two of them quickly made their way back down to the kitchen, where the found Glenn waving a towel at the smoke detector while Mark ran a pan under the sink faucet.

"What the fuck, guys? I asked you to keep an eye on the food, not burn the house down," Teresa commented, both women laughing at the guys.

"Hey, we tried. The eggs are, uh...well, they're a little over done," Mark stated, an apologetic expression on his face.

Teresa simply shook her head. "How about we go out to eat, instead?" she replied, and they all laughed as they got ready to head to the nearby diner for food.


	19. Chapter 18

As Mark woke, he was immediately greeted to the scent of bacon, which made his stomach rumble loudly. Reaching up, he yawned as he stretched languidly, before reluctantly getting out of bed and making his way downstairs. As he walked into the kitchen, he could not help but to smile at the sight of Brandy working diligently at the stove as she softly sang along to a Billy Joel song playing on the radio. For a week now, she had been back home, and it was almost as if she had never left. Somehow, they had managed to pick right back up where they left off, and at times he found himself wondering if the scenario with Tom had even occurred, but the occasional nightmare or triggered breakdown always confirmed it had in fact happened.

"Good morning, handsome," Brandy said with a smile when she felt his arms go around her ribcage, pulling her back into him for a tight hug.

"Mm, morning beautiful," he mumbled, kissing the top of her head. "Whatever you're making smells great."

She cast a smile up at him. "Thank you. This is just about done, if you want to get some coffee going. I hadn't gotten around to that yet."

"You got it," he replied, and once more kissed her head before walking over to the cabinet where they kept the coffee mugs. "How I'm not fatter than what I am, I will never know. You're too damn good of a cook," he added as he walked over to the coffee pot, and began to prepare a pot of their favorite brew.

Brandy laughed at this. "You're not fat, you big dork."

"Yeah, and the only reason I'm not is because I work my ass off in the gym to prevent it. You're dangerous, woman," Mark commented as he got out dishes for them to use.

"Well I can stop, you know. Would you rather egg whites and salads? Because I can make that happen."

"Hell no, you ain't serving me that garbage," he shot back, making her laugh once more.

"Get your coffee, and sit down. This is done," Brandy replied with a smirk, and as he poured them each some coffee she prepared their plates. As they began to eat, Mark reached out to take her hand in his, his thumb idly running over where her engagement ring used to sit. "I'm sorry I couldn't save it," she commented quietly, guilt on her face and in her voice. "I have no idea what Tom did with it, and it makes me so angry to know he even touched it. I loved that ring."

Bringing her hand up, Mark kissed the spot on her ring finger softly. "A ring is replaceable, baby. You're not. I will gladly go get you a new one...as long as that's what you want, of course."

Brandy frowned at him. "Do...you not want to be engaged anymore? I obviously didn't mean it when I said I wanted to leave you that night. I still consider you my fiancé...but if that isn't what you want..."

"No! God no, babe. Of course I still want to be engaged to you. I guess...hell, I dunno, I guess I worry about saying the wrong thing. You're still healing, and I don't want to cause you any more distress than what you've already been through. I didn't know if that would somehow upset you. You're my girl, and I don't want that to ever change. I still want to be able to call you my wife one day."

Brandy smiled at this, and gave his hand a soft squeeze. "I like the way that sounds," stated, making him smile in return.

Reaching up, Mark took off the chain she had given him, and slipped from off of it the small band he wore on it. "It's not much...but until I can replace your old one, this will have to do," he commented, and as he held the small band out to her he added, "Will you still marry me?"

A look of surprise came to her face. "Mark, that is your grandma's ring. I couldn't possibly..." she started to protest, but when her words died off he once more grabbed her hand.

"I know for a fact my grandma would have loved you, and that she would be honored to see her ring on your pretty little finger," Mark reassured her as he slid the ring on her finger. Once it was fully on, he again pressed a kiss to her finger, and added with a smile, "See? Perfect fit, it was meant to be." Her eyes burning with tears, Brandy leaned forward to hug him around the neck. "Hey, come on, now, no need to cry," Mark tried to console her as he pulled her into his lap.

"I just love you a lot," she commented, her words muffled in his neck.

"Well I love you a lot, too, but you don't see me blubbering over it," he teased, chuckling when she playfully hit his chest.

Pulling back, she wiped her eyes as she said, "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Just...being you. You always try so hard to be patient and understanding, and I just...it means a lot to me."

Mark simply smiled at this, and kissed her forehead. "Let's finish this food before it starts getting cold," he commented, and once Brandy moved back into her seat the two of them continued to make light conversation as they finished their meals. Just as they finished cleaning up the kitchen, the doorbell rang, making them frown at each other. "Are you expecting anyone?" he asked as he dried his hands. Brandy shook her head, glancing over at the front door as she did so. Placing the hand towel back on the oven handle, Mark made his way over to the front door, and when he opened it he was brought back by the person standing there. "...Sara, what...what the hell are you doing here?" Mark asked, baffled by the site of his ex lover standing there.

"Now, is that really how you greet your girlfriend? You should be happy to see me!" Sara commented, and when she stepped toward him he held his hand out to keep her from coming any closer.

"Sara, I haven't spoken to you in over two months, now. Why would I go that long without speaking to someone I was seeing?"

"Well...I just...figured you were busy," she said with a shrug, and started twirling a strand of her hair around her finger. "Are you going to let me in, or what?"

"No, I'm not. Let me make myself very clear: we are done. We have been done. I don't want to see you anymore, so please go home."

Sara was about to say something, when a quiet voice suddenly called out from within the house, "Mark...is everything okay?"

They both looked behind him, and found Brandy standing there, a confused look on her face. Who was this platinum blonde standing in their doorway? Brandy immediately noticed how pretty she was, and what an amazing figure she had. When they made eye contact, she sneered at Brandy. "And who are you?" she asked, her tone far from kind.

"I'm Brandy, it's nice to meet you," Brandy replied politely as she stepped closer, and held her hand out to Sara.

Sara simply rolled her eyes, and brought her attention back to Mark. "Can you tell your maid to, like, go do something? I really need to talk to you."

Mark had to fight back the urge to backhand her. "Brandy is my fiancée, not my damn maid, and I don't have anything more to say to you. Now please, just go."

Sara laughed. "Fiancée, huh? Yeah, okay, like you would really choose this fat bitch over me. Come on, Mark, I'm not stupid."

"You obviously must be if you think I want to talk to you. Seriously, Sara, leave."

"No! Not until you talk to me!" Sara replied stubbornly.

"Hey, come on, Mark doesn't want to talk right now," Brandy stepped in, trying to help, when Sara glared at her and suddenly shoved Brandy back.

"Don't talk to me, bitch, this has nothing to do with you," Sara spat at Brandy, flicking her hair back over her shoulder.

"Don't you dare-" Mark started to warn, when Brandy took them both by surprise by suddenly stepping forward and kicking Sara in the stomach hard enough to knock her backwards and off of her feet.

"You bitch!" Sara shrieked, clutching her stomach as she looked up at them. "You just assaulted me, you dumb cunt! I should call the cops!"

"You put your hands on me first, and we have cameras to prove that, so go ahead, because all it is going to show is I was acting in self defense," Brandy replied, her anger flaring. "We both have been nice, but this is getting old. Please leave, or I will call the police, because what you are doing right now is trespassing."

Clearly fuming, Sara remained silent as she stood back up, her eyes narrowing as she watched Mark put his arm around Brandy's shoulders in a motion of pride, as if showing her off. "Give it time, he will get tired of you. I'm not dumb, Mark told me all about you, and how you left him like the dumb whore you are. He's only with you because he feels sorry for you. I mean, look at you. You know you're not his type, right? Mark likes his women tiny and blonde, which you obviously are not. He told me every single day I was the hottest piece of ass he has ever had, and if you don't believe me ask him." When she saw the look of hurt come to Brandy's eyes, Sara grinned smugly, and added as she brought her gaze to Mark, "So when you get tired of her fat, ugly ass, you know where to find me. Although, you'll have to do some begging by that point to get me back." Before anything else could be said, Sara once more flipped her hair over her shoulder as she turned around and flounced back to her car, where she quickly sped off.

Shutting the door, Mark brought his attention to Brandy and asked as he grabbed her shoulders, "Are you okay? Did she hurt you?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she replied quietly, and shrugging out of his grip turned her back to him.

Mark watched her as she started to slowly walk away. "Brandy...I'm so sorry for all of this..." he started to say, but could not seem to find the right words.

Turning back to face him, her eyes shining with tears, Brandy asked, "What she said was true...wasn't it? You...you really said those things, didn't you?"

Mark hesitated, before softly admitting, "I did...yes..." When he saw her face begin to crumple, Mark stepped towards her and added, "Babe, I'm sorry, I was angry and hurt when I said those things. I said a lot of stupid shit I didn't actually mean while you were gone, and if I could take it all back I would."

Brandy forced a smile. "It's fine," she replied simply, and before another word could be said she made her way upstairs. Mark watched her as she walked up the steps, and hesitated before following her, sensing things were not fine as she claimed.

When he found her, she was standing in their closet, staring blankly at her section of clothes. Leaning against the door frame, he watched her in silence, and when she finally looked over at him he stated quietly, "Please tell me what you're thinking. I can tell you're not fine."

"You'll think I'm being dumb," Brandy mumbled, looking down at her feet.

Stepping toward her, Mark gently lifted her chin, forcing her to look back up at him, and said reassuringly, "Baby, I could never think you're dumb. Your thoughts and feelings are important to me, now please talk."

Looking up at him with sad eyes, she gave a weak shrug, before admitting, "I guess I'm just questioning everything now."

"Questioning what?"

"Us. Our relationship. If I'm not your type...how are we really going to last?" She hesitated, before adding softly, "What if you do get tired of me, and decide you do want to be with her again? She is obviously gorgeous, and I...I guess I feel like I don't compete."

Mark inwardly cursed Sara for the things she said. "I would be lying if I said I did not in the past have a type. Yes, I have tended to be attracted to a certain look when it comes to women...but that was all before I met you. In the past, it was superficial, nothing with sustenance, which is why I never really had a meaningful relationship. With you...darlin', your beauty is so much more than skin deep. You absolutely glow, and it's enough to take my breath away at times."

Brandy simply smiled at this. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be like this. You're just...so damn handsome, I'm always afraid of losing you to someone prettier. What she said is only making it worse right now."

Mark smirked at her comment of him being handsome. "Let me make one thing clear: what we had was almost purely physical. Yes, I was attracted to her, and yes, I admit I said those things to her, but honestly it was usually just telling her what she wanted to hear so I could get her in bed. She might be pretty on the surface, but she has an ugly, ugly core, which is why we only lasted a couple of months. I never once thought about making her Mrs. Calaway...because, honestly, I never stopped wanting to make you Mrs. Calaway."

Again, she smiled at him. "Did you love her?"

Mark was taken back by this. "Love?" She nodded. Rubbing his neck, he commented, "That's one hell of a loaded word. Well...I guess...yeah, maybe at one point, there might have been love involved. She did help me cope with my heartache, after all. I promise you, though, whatever love I might have possibly felt for her in no way compares to the love I have for you. Hell, I don't think anything could ever compare to the love I have for you, so I hate to say it but you're pretty stuck with me, babe."

Brandy giggled at this, and leaned up to kiss him. When she pulled back, her gaze fell on her reflection in the mirror, and she commented, "I still think you're blind, though."

Mark gave her a confused look. "Blind? Why the hell would you think I'm blind?"

"For thinking I'm prettier than her, but...I mean...I guess they do say 'love is blind'."

Shaking his head, Mark stepped behind her so that he could also see her reflection. "Do you really not see what I see?" he asked, and shaking her head she looked down with a sad, almost ashamed expression. Letting a strand of her hair sift through his fingers, he commented, "You have the softest, sweetest smelling hair, and I love running my hands through it while we fall asleep." Once more forcing her to look up, so she was looking at herself again, he added, "You have the biggest, most uniquely colored eyes I've ever seen, and I could spend hours studying their gorgeous color. I love the way your cute little button nose is upturned, and how it scrunches when you laugh. I melt when I see those pretty little dimples, and I can never get enough of the taste of your full lips." Mark could see the blush staining her cheeks as he spoke, which only encouraged him to say more. He needed her to know how he viewed her. For a moment, he idly toyed with the hem of her shirt, before slowly pulling it up and off of her. He then did the same to her sweatpants, leaving her standing there completely nude. "I think I was a damn idiot for preferring skinny little bitches before, because there is nothing sexier to me than your curves," he murmured in her ear as his hands began to explore the flat plane of her soft tummy, and he could see her eyes wandering over herself. Reaching up, he gently covered her breasts with his hands as he added, "I love how perfectly these fit in my hands...it's as if they were made for me, and only me...and I love how soft your thick ass feels when I squeeze it." As he said this last part, Mark firmly squeezed both globes of her ass, making her give a small giggle, but that laugh turned into a soft gasp when he gripped her hips as he pressed his own into her ass. "You have the thickest, most sexiest hips and thighs I've ever seen, and all I want to do when I see them is bury my face between them." Brandy's face once more flushed a deep red at his words, and when he had her turn to face him she could see the distinct look of lust in his eyes. "I could go forever about the things I love about you...but right now, all I can think about is how bad I need you."

Brandy was suddenly very much aware of the pulsing between her thighs, and gasped once more when he cupped her bare sex, his fingers slipping between her lips to explore her wet warmth. "I need you too, Mark," she whispered, and pulled him down for a deep kiss. As his tongue demanded hers, he lifted her up with ease, making her legs wind around his waist, and carried her into the bedroom to lie down on the bed. Once above her, he rhythmically rolled his hips into hers as they once more kissed, purposely pressing his hard cock into her clit. Impatiently, she pushed his sweatpants down just far enough to free him, and gave a small cry of surprise when he immediately entered her with one long thrust.

"You're the only person who gets my cock this hard," he whispered in her ear as he right away set in a steady pace. "You turn me on so bad I can't even think straight. You're the biggest cocktease I've ever known, and you don't even realize it."

As he began to speed up his motions, Brandy held onto his hips, her entire being tingling from both his motions and his words. "Your cock is the only one I want to tease," she commented with a grin, her words making him shudder.

"That's exactly what I'm talking about," he said through gritted teeth, making her giggle. Bracing himself up on his elbows, he exerted the last of his strength into thrusting into her as hard and fast as he could, which made her again cry out as her eyes rolled back.

"Oh fuck...fuck...oh god, Mark, I'm cumming!" she cried out, her nails digging into his back as she squeezed around him tightly.

"That's it, cum on my cock," he panted as she fell apart, and with one final plunge he groaned as he joined her over the edge. Still breathing heavily, Mark rolled over as he collapsed onto the bed next to Brandy, and for a moment the two of them simply laid there in silence. "So do you believe me, now?" he finally asked, looking over at her, and when she looked back at him she could not help but to giggle.

"I think so...but I wouldn't mind a reminder like that from time to time," she replied, making him laugh as well. When she noticed he was moving to get up, Brandy grabbed his arm, making him stop and look back at her. "You're not going anywhere."

Mark raised an eyebrow at her. "Oh?" She nodded. "And why is that?"

Brandy suddenly pushed him back down onto his back, making him let out a small grunt of surprise. "Because I'm not done with you yet," she replied as she straddled his waist, and as she leaned down to kiss him, they both quickly got lost once more in each other, and knew the rest of the morning would be spent right where they were.


	20. Chapter 19

As Brandy hung up her towel and began to brush the tangles from her hair, she argued with herself on what she wanted to do for the rest of the night. Being the last night before she joined Mark on the road, she wanted to enjoy a simple, quiet night at home. As she decided on gathering some snacks and watching a movie, she made her way out of the bedroom, and was taken by surprise when she found the room entirely black, aside from two candles glowing on either nightstand. Frowning, Brandy walked over to the bedroom door, and just as she was about to look down the hall a hand closed around her mouth, making her heart immediately begin to pound and panic rise up into her throat.

"Don't be scared," a deep voice said in her ear, and soon as she smelled their cologne she knew it was just Mark. Relaxing slightly, she went to turn around, and when she finally saw him she was greeted to a dark hooded figure, the lack of lighting preventing her from being able to properly see him.

"Mark, what-" she started to ask, when he suddenly grasped her jaw tightly, forcing her to stop speaking.

"You will refer to me as 'Lord'. Is that understood?" he demanded, his voice still at a lower pitch than normal, and all she could was nod. Grasping a handful of her hair, he gently but firmly led her back into the bedroom, and once they were closer to the bed he slowly walked around to the back of her.

"I...I don't understand..." Brandy was finally able to get out, trying to relax but still feeling extremely anxious by what was happening.

Softly, he pushed her hair back from off of her shoulder, and ran a hand along her cheek before leaning down to whisper, "You told me once you had a fantasy about the Lord of Darkness...is that still the case?" Lightly biting her lip, Brandy nodded. "Do you trust me?"

"With my life, M...Lord," she whispered back, making sure to correct herself.

"Then turn around and face me," he commanded, and obediently she once more faced him. Now more in the candlelight, while she could still not see his face, she could now see he was wearing the black robe from during his Ministry days, and again her heartbeat began to quicken...only this time, it was not out of fear, but out of lust. "Such a sweet little thing, you are," Mark murmured, cupping her face in his hand. "I've been watching you for a while now."

"Oh? Y...You have?"

"Mm, indeed I have, and the plans I have for you..." he started, his hand running down to her neck, and as it closed around her throat he added, "By the time the night is over, you'll never want to leave the darkness again." Brandy could feel her clit beginning to tingle at this. "I just knew you'd be perfect...you were meant to be my Princess of Darkness...and that is exactly what I plan to make you." Not knowing what to say, Brandy simply nodded. "Would you like that? Would you like for me to turn you into my princess?"

Again, her clit tingled at his words. "Yes...please..." she whispered, and still keeping a hold on her throat he forced her to walk backward, until her calves touched the bed. Giving a sudden shove, he made her fall backward onto the mattress, and in the blink of an eye he was above her, pinning her small frame down with his much larger one once they were up by the pillows.

As soon as she felt him tying her wrists, she whimpered with fear, and began to squirm against him. Hearing the hitch in her breathing, Mark knew she was beginning to panic, and softly shushed her as he stroked her hair. "Shh, baby, it's okay, you're okay," he whispered, and kissed her forehead. "Don't you trust me?"

She hesitated for a moment, before replying, "I do trust you."

"I'd never do anything to hurt you," he reassured her, and once more kissed her forehead. "How about we make a safe word. Would that make you feel better?" Immediately, Brandy nodded, making him smirk. "Let's keep it simple. How about 'red'?"

"That's fine," she replied, and looking up she watched as he tightened the restraints on her wrists. Closing her eyes, she tried to calm her rapidly beating heart, and gave a small sigh when he began to run his hand along her, from her neck all the way down to her knee.

"You're so soft," he murmured, his fingers trailing back up her side. Breathing in next to her neck, he added, "And you smell so good...like a sweet peach, waiting for me to devour it."

She shuddered slightly at this, and commented as she reopened her eyes to look up at him, "I want you to devour me, Lord."

A growl rumbled in his chest. "Are you sure about that?" he asked as he bunched a fistful of her shirt up in his hand. When she nodded, he grabbed another fistful of the shirt, and she gave a cry of surprise when he suddenly tugged hard, ripping the shirt cleanly in two. Before she could say anything, his mouth was over her nipple, sucking and nibbling as his fingers teased the other. Her eyes closed when his mouth moved to her other nipple, and it seemed as soon as it started he was suddenly moving away. Looking up at him, Brandy simply watched for a moment as he stared at her, before getting up off of the bed and grabbing something from off of his dresser. As he walked back over to her, she could see in his hands was a rope, and immediately shook her head in panic. "I have no intentions of hurting you with this, princess," he reassured her as he softly ran a hand along her leg, from her ankle up to her inner thigh. A quiet whimper escaped her lips when he reached higher yet, allowing his fingertips to trail along her covered mound, and in the blink of an eye he had her shorts yanked down and off of her completely. Tossing the garment over his shoulder, he again ran his hand along her leg, before quickly wrapping the rope around it, forcing her leg to remained bent at the knee. Once it was securely tied, he did the same to her other leg, the position it put her in leaving her completely exposed to him and his hungry gaze. Her breathing shallow by this point, she tugged at her restraints, wondering what he planned to do to her. For a moment, he simply stood there, before slowly undoing his robe, and when he finally slid it off, she was left speechless at the site of him standing there in a pair of black silk pants with his hair down and his chest bare. Was she really lucky enough to call him hers?

"You are quite the site to behold," he purred as he slowly walked over to his side of the bed, and opened the top drawer of his night stand. Brandy watched as he reached in, and immediately shook her head when she saw him pull out a blindfold. Nodding, he swiftly slipped it over her eyes, and she was about to say the safe word, when she felt him lightly stroking her hair, his action calming the panic which had begun to build within her chest. When he saw her body relax, he grabbed the second item he needed, and smirked at the slight whimper she gave when he moved away. She could hear his movements, and wondered what he was doing until she could feel the silk of his pants brush against her legs as he settled before her open thighs. "It looks like someone is more anxious than they expressed," Mark commented as his fingers glided through the warm wetness building between her thighs. "Is this for me, princess?"

She gasped when he brushed against her clit, and nodded. "Yes, Lord...it's all for you," she whispered, and bit back a cry when he suddenly slid two fingers inside her.

Mark gave a quiet groan at how tightly she squeezed him. "You're so tight, princess," he murmured, easing the digits in and out of her. "I think you need my thick cock to open you up."

Brandy nodded. "Please, Lord, I need it," she begged, and grew confused when she heard a buzzing sound. She went to ask what it was, when there was suddenly a strong vibration pressed snugly into her clit, making her hips buck and a strangled noise of surprise escape her lips. "Oh fuck," she cried out when his fingers began to move within her and the vibrator moved over her clit, the pleasure he was giving her making her toes curl.

"How does that feel?"

"So good...s-so good..." she panted, wanting to say more but unable to form a full sentence. "Please...please..."

"What? Talk to me, tell me what you are wanting."

"Don't stop...please...please don't stop..."

"Are you getting close, princess?" Mark asked, quickening his motions, and Brandy nodded. "Do you want me to make you come?" he added, moving his hands faster yet, and again she quickly nodded. He kept going, watching her intently as he did so, and just as he could tell she was about to reach her climax he abruptly pulled away.

"No!" she cried out, thrashing about in retaliation to him denying her that sweet release. "Fuck you, you bastard."

Mark quickly wrapped a hand around her throat, making her yelp and quickly still. "How dare you speak to your Lord like that," he growled, tightening his grip. "Spoiled little brats don't get their way, now do they, princess?"

Her chin quivering, she shook her head. "I...I'm sorry, Lord..."

"That isn't good enough," he replied, and with a quick twist he flipped her over onto her stomach, and forced her to where she was kneeling before him with her arms stretched out before her. "It looks like I need to teach you a lesson," he added as he ran his hand along the curve of her ass, and raising it up he quickly brought it back down with a sharp smack. Brandy immediately cried out, hiding her face in the bed as he continued to give hard smacks against her ass cheeks. "Are you going to speak to me again like that?" he growled, and when she shook her head he gave another slap. "I can't hear you, princess."

"No, Lord, no," she cried, her heart thudding loudly in her ears. "I'm sorry...please..."

Again, Mark slapped her ass. "Please what?"

"R...red...red..." she whimpered, and Mark immediately felt his stomach drop at hearing this one word come from her tiny voice.

Leaning down, Mark kissed her shoulder before whispering, "Are you okay?" Brandy nodded. "Did I take it too far?" She hesitated, before nodding again. "I'm so sorry," he added, his voice still soft, and straightened back up. "Would you like for me to make it better, princess?" he asked, going back into character.

Again, Brandy hesitated, before once more nodding. She jumped slightly when she felt him spread her legs even further apart, and cried out when she suddenly felt his hot tongue on her clit. "Oh fuck...fuck, that feels so good..." she whimpered, her pleasure once more mounting, and arching back she moved against him as rode his face. She could hear him give low murmurs of approval as he eagerly pleasured her, the alternation of a slow and fast pace he used driving her crazy. The feel of his hands softly stroking her hips and sides made her skin break out in goosebumps, and only heightened the pleasure he was giving her. "Please...please...I'm...I...I'm..." she begged, and with one final swirl of his tongue she cried out loudly as she came in his mouth. To her, it felt like her climax went on for hours, and when it finally subdued she collapsed, trembling and panting.

"You're the sweetest thing I've ever tasted, princess...but now I want to know if you feel as good as you taste," Mark murmured, pulling her hips back up, and quickly freeing himself he immediately sank into her, making them both moan.

"Fuck...you feel so good, Lord," she whimpered, her pussy still aching from the orgasm he just gave her. "Please fuck me, I need you so bad."

A growl rumbled in his chest at her words, and leaning forward he braced himself against her shoulders, pressing her down into the mattress, as he quickly build up his pace, until he was pounding into her just like she asked. "Is this what my princess wanted?" he panted, loving the way her inner muscles fluttered around his cock.

"Yes, yes, yes," she gasped, completely overwhelmed by the sensations he was making her feel. Unable to move or even think, she allowed him to use her body as he pleased, and willingly accepted being nothing more than a fuck toy to him in that moment. "I'm getting close again...please make me come, Lord," Brandy begged, her entire body tensing when she felt that coil once more.

"That's it, come for me," he demanded, his own orgasm quickly building, and as soon as he felt her fall apart he groaned as he joined her, riding her hard as he tried to make their pleasure last as long as possible. Moving his hands from her shoulders to the mattress, he remained leaned over her as he caught his breath, and after a long moment he finally pulled back and adjusted himself. Brandy simply laid there limp, unable to move or speak, and felt him quickly begin to undo the ropes on her legs. Once they were free, he gently rubbed them as he straightened them out, before carefully flipping her onto her back. She could feel his hands on her wrists, grateful when they were finally freed. He tenderly kissed them, making sure there were no marks, and she frowned she felt him so something to her fingers. When he finally let go of her wrists, she removed her blindfold, and when she looked down at her hands she gasped when she saw the beautiful diamond ring on her ring finger. When she looked up at him with wide eyes, he softly commented, "I told you I wanted to make you my princess."

Her chin quivering, she held her arms out to him, and when he moved down to her she hugged him tightly around the neck as tears escaped her eyes. "I love you so much, Mark," she choked out, burying her face in his shoulder.

"I love you too, baby," he murmured, holding her just as tight. For a long moment they laid there in silence, simply holding onto one another, until he gently pulled back. "Are you okay? I didn't hurt you, did I?" She shook her head. "I'm sorry I made you use the safe word, I guess I got a little carried away."

She smirked at him. "It's okay, you made it all better," she reassured him, making him chuckle.

"Did I fulfill your fantasy about the Lord of Darkness?"

Brandy giggled. "Oh yeah," she replied simply, making him laugh once more.

"Well I am more than happy to oblige," he commented as they got beneath the covers, and pulled her into his arms. When he noticed her examining the ring, he asked, "Do you like it?"

"I absolutely love it, Mark. It's perfect."

He smiled at this. "Good," he replied simply, and kissed the top of her head. "I love you so much, Brandy," he murmured, already drifting off to sleep.

Peeking up at him, she smiled. "I love you too, Mark," she whispered, letting out a content sigh, and closing her eyes she quickly joined him in slumber.


	21. Chapter 20

As Mark woke, he grumbled when he could feel the bed moving, confused as to what was going on. As he opened his eyes, he could not help but to grin when he found Brandy in the bed next to him, already dressed and bouncing on her knees as she watched him.

"Took you long enough to wake up, I've been doing this for five minutes now," she said as he rubbed his eyes, making him chuckle. "Morning," she added, and leaned down to kiss him before hopping out of the bed.

"Someone woke up on the bright side of the bed," he commented in an amused tone as he slowly got out of bed, stretching before standing up. "Are you excited about coming along?"

"I am! I'm also kind of nervous, though," she admitted, making the bed as he got dressed.

"Why?"

She shrugged. "It's a new thing for me, with lots of new people and new places. You know the unknown makes me uncomfortable."

Walking over to her, Mark took her in his arms as he kissed her. "I promise, I won't let anything happen to you. I've been doing this for a long time now, and I would never put you in harm's way."

Brandy smiled at this. "I know," she replied, and kissed him once more before pulling away. "My stuff is ready to go. Hurry up and finish packing, I got us breakfast we can eat on the way to the airport."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "You already left the house?"

"I couldn't sleep, I was too anxious." Mark laughed at this. "Go, go, you big oaf," she added, playfully pushing him towards the bathroom. "I am going to start bringing my things downstairs."

"So bossy," he teased, and finally did as she wanted, heading into the bathroom to gather his last minute toiletries. Truth be told, he was actually very excited to have her coming along. He loved her company, and could not wait for the adventures they were about to go on together. Just what was this new chapter going to bring them?

**) ) ) )**

As Brandy began to wake up, she immediately noticed the feeling of lips peppering kisses across her face, the tickle of a beard on her skin making her scrunch up her nose as she giggled.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did I wake you, sleepyhead?" Mark asked playfully, his lips finally finding hers as he chuckled.

Smiling, Brandy finally opened her eyes to look up at Mark, her smile quickly leaving her face when she saw him. "I..."

Mark smirked at her. "What?"

"I...you..." she tried to say, but was left speechless as she looked up at him. "...Your hair," she finally got out, and reaching up she touched his now shortly cut hair which was once more dyed black.

His smile widened as he helped her to a sitting position. "Should I take that has a positive reaction?" he asked, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"I...I think so," she admitted, making him laugh. "I mean...I just...what...why?"

He could not help but to laugh again at how flabbergasted she was. "I felt like a change, and there is a barber in town I always trust with my hair," he said with a small shrug. "Why? Do you not like it?"

"No, no, I do. You just...you look so different, that's all," Brandy commented, again running her hand through his hair. "I loved your long hair, but...I really like this look on you, too," she added with a smile, and leaning forward kissed him.

Mark groaned when she quickly deepened it, his hands tangling in her hair as he returned it with as much desire, and gave a small grunt of surprise when she suddenly moved to where she was straddling his lap. "You weren't kidding when you said you liked it," he said with a smirk, which quickly left his face when she grabbed him through his jeans. "Brandy...we...I have to be at the arena in thirty minutes," he tried to protest, when she suddenly pushed on him, forcing him to lie back.

"All the more reason to make it quick," she replied with a grin, and with a small giggle hopped up off of his lap.

Mark went to ask her what she was doing, when he saw she was wiggling out of her pants. Quickly following, he fumbled to undo his own jeans, pushing them down to his thighs before bringing his attention back to her. "Get your ass over here, now," he demanded, and she wasted no time in getting back on his lap. Mark gave himself a few quick strokes, getting himself fully hard for her. "Is this what you wanted?" he asked, teasing her with the tip of his cock, and as soon as she nodded he pulled her down hard, impaling her on his thick cock.

"Shit," she cried out, bracing her hands on his chest as she immediately began to move her hips against him. There was nothing gentle about what was happening between them, their motions frantic as they raced to reach their climaxes.

"Get us there, ride my cock," Mark panted, his hips arching up desperately into hers. Leaning down, she kissed him heatedly, making him groan when she clenched around him as she did so. "Fuck, baby, I'm gonna cum."

"Me too...me too..." she whimpered, and digging her nails into his chest she arched her back as she climaxed, feeling her squeeze him making him immediately join her. Finally, after a moment of remaining still Brandy collapsed onto his chest, and wrapping her up in his arms Mark kissed the top of her head before giving a sigh of content.

"Remind me to cut my hair more often," he quipped, making them both laugh, when his cell phone began to ring. Muttering a curse under his breath, Mark reached into his pocket, and reluctantly answered it. "Yeah?"

"Well hello to you too, fucker," Glenn stated, making Mark chuckle.

"What's up?"

"Where the hell are you?"

"I'm still at my hotel. Why?"

"Because you're normally here by now. You running late, or something?"

"No, I just...shit, why does it matter? Are you my momma, or something?"

Glenn was about to say something, when he heard Brandy ask, "Who is it, babe?"

"Ah, it all makes sense now. I forgot Brandy was coming along with you now," Glenn chuckled. "You couldn't wait until tonight to get your dick wet?"

"Fuck you, mind your own damn business."

Glenn laughed once more. "Hey man, I just wanted to make sure you were okay, now get your horny ass here."

"Yeah yeah, see you soon asshole," Mark chuckled, and hung up.

"Is everything okay?" Brandy asked, getting up on her elbows to look down at him.

Mark nodded, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. "It was just Glenn, he was wondering where I was."

She frowned. "Why?"

"Because I usually get to the arena sooner than this."

"Oh...I'm sorry if I'm making you late," Brandy said quietly, looking down.

Mark took her face in his hands and kissed her. "No, baby, you're not. Don't be ridiculous, I'm still right on time. I wanted a little more alone time with you before heading there, that's all. It can be pretty crazy once we get there."

"How so?"

"Just a lot going on all at once. Lots of people, lots of moving around." Brandy simply nodded. "Now hop up, we really do need to get going," he added, and gave her one more kiss before giving her ass a light slap to get her to get up. As she redressed, on occasion glancing over at Mark as he straightened himself up, she found herself both excited and nervous as hell for what she was about to get herself into.

**) ) ) )**

Looking over at Brandy, Mark smirked when he saw the look of awe on her face as she glanced around. "What are you thinking?" he asked.

Brandy looked over at him. "It's so weird seeing this side of an arena, that's all," she commented. "You weren't kidding when you said there are a lot of people, though."

"I warned you...you doing okay?" he asked, a hint of concern in his voice.

Smiling up at him, she nodded. "I'll be okay," she replied, and he gave a soft touch to her upper back.

"I have a quick meeting with Vince, and unfortunately I can't let you come along," Mark informed Brandy as they rounded a corner. "It shouldn't last long, though. If you keep going straight down that way, you should find my locker room, and all kinds of people. You think you'll be okay on your own?"

"I'm a big girl, Mark. I'll be okay," she reassured him, and he gave her a quick kiss before disappearing down another hall. Taking a deep breath, Brandy continued forward, noticing the noise and bustle of people growing louder. Thankfully, she came across his locker room before approaching where everyone else was, and was about to head inside, when her curiosity got the better of her, and shutting the door she made her way further down the hall. As she approached a more open area, it was here she was finally greeted to the entire roster, and all of the backstage crew diligently working on getting everything ready for that night's performance.

As she walked closer to the catering table, examining the food offered and contemplating if she wanted something to eat, she failed to see someone walk up behind her and yelped when a hand suddenly grabbed her ass. She spun around, her eyes wide, and found a man standing there, a wide grin on his face as he looked at her. "Hey sexy, you new here?" he asked, his gaze scanning over her in a non discreet manner.

"Y-yeah," she stammered, tightly crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"Want me to show you around?" he asked, his gaze finally coming back to her face.

Brandy quickly shook her head. "No thank you, I think I'm okay."

"Come on, sexy, let me show you around. I'll make it fun, I promise."

"No, really, I'm okay," Brandy insisted, and went to back away when he suddenly grabbed her arm, making her yelp once more.

"Oh, I see. You're one of those stuck up bitches, huh?"

"You're hurting me," she whimpered, trying to pull her arm out of his grip.

Suddenly, a second hand gently but firmly grabbed her other arm, making him immediately let go, and she was quickly pulled behind a large figure. "Who the fuck do you think you are, putting your hands on my fiancée?" Mark growled, grabbing the guy by the collar of his shirt.

"I-I'm sorry, Taker, I didn't realize," the guy stammered, his face suddenly white as a ghost.

Mark simply glared down at him, before asking, "What's your name, you little shit?"

"S-Seth. Please, don't hurt me Taker, I'm really sorry," he begged.

Mark glanced back at Brandy, before looking back at Seth, and said in a low voice, "You better believe, Seth, I fully plan on telling Vince about this little incident. You just ended your career before it even had a chance to start." Giving a shove, making Seth fall backwards, he added, "And if I ever find out you've laid your hands on a woman again...I swear to God, I will rip your dick off and shove it down your throat. You understand me, boy?" Seth quickly nodded. "Now get the fuck out of my site, you little punk," Mark growled, and quickly Seth scrambled away. Bringing his attention back to Brandy, Mark could see she was visibly shaking, and immediately he softened. "Hey, you okay?" he asked softly, taking her face in his hands, and when she nodded he pulled her tight to him. Looking up, Mark could see there were numerous eyes on him, and asked loudly, "What the hell y'all looking at? Go on, this ain't no show."

As soon as everyone quickly went back to what they were doing, he gently pulled her back to look at her. "Thanks for being my bodyguard," she said with a weak smile, making him chuckle.

"I'm always happy to be your bodyguard," he replied, and kissed the top of her head.

"What's all the commotion?" a voice behind them commented, making the two of them turn around. A man as tall as Mark was standing there, looking between the two of them. Brandy immediately noticed what a handsome man he was, with luscious blonde hair and warm hazel eyes.

"Hey Kevin, how you been?" Mark asked, giving the man a warm hug.

"Just fine, man, and you?"

"Same ole shit."

Kevin chuckled at this, and brought his attention to Brandy. "Who's the little lady?"

Mark placed a hand on her shoulder. "Kevin, I'd like for you to meet my fiancée, Brandy. Brandy, this is Kevin Nash, one of my good friends in the business."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Brandy said with a smile, extending her hand to Kevin. However, he took her by surprise when he pulled her in for a hug, and made her squeak with surprise when he lifted her up off of her feet.

"Pleasure's all mine, sweetheart," he replied, and smiled at her once he put her back down. "So we finally get to meet your better half, huh?"

"Yeah, it's been a crazy time over the last year, but I finally convinced her to come with me."

"And here I thought you were making her up," Kevin teased, making Mark chuckle. "So what the hell was going on just now? I thought the kid that ran off was going to shit his pants."

"The little asshole was grabbing Brandy," Mark stated, anger at the incident still evident in his tone.

"What the fuck? Why?" Kevin asked, his gaze going to Brandy.

She shrugged. "He kept wanting to show me around the arena. I don't know why, I didn't even say anything to him. He just...all of a sudden grabbed my butt, and told me to come with him," Brandy explained, embarrassed by everything.

"Wait, he grabbed your ass too?" Mark asked, a frown settling on his face. Again, Brandy hesitantly nodded. "I swear to god, I am going to fucking kill him," he growled, the anger on his face and in his voice scaring her.

"I swear, I didn't do anything to provoke it. I really don't know why, out of all these people around here, he decided to bother me," she quickly added, worried his anger was partially aimed at her.

"Maybe because you're hot as hell?" Kevin spoke up, easing the tension of the situation and making her blush. "Not to mention, you're a new face, and some guys can act like dicks when it comes to new people, but I'd say it was mostly because you're hot."

"I disagree, but I guess if you say so," Brandy replied sheepishly as she looked down.

"Christ, is she always this modest?" Kevin asked Mark. "What bullshit you feeding her to make her that blind?"

"Hey, fuck you, man," Mark chuckled. Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he kissed the top of her head before adding, "It's something we are working on."

Kevin simply smiled. "Well if you ever need help, I'm always happy to flirt with a gorgeous girl."

"You back the fuck off, Kevin," Mark warned, and they both laughed.

"I have to go talk to Vince, but come find me after the show so we can grab a drink and catch up."

"I've been wanting Brandy to get to know the guys I hang out with in the business, so that sounds great. I'll meet you out back afterwards."

Kevin once more smiled, and nodded. "I'll see you around, man. It's great getting to meet you, sweetheart."

"Yeah, you too," Brandy replied with a smile, and giving a small wave Kevin continued on his way. "He seems nice," she commented once he walked away.

"Yeah, Kevin is a real good guy. We've worked together for years, he's a great friend," Mark informed her, and gave her shoulders a squeeze. "Let's head to the locker room, I need to start getting ready."

Nodding, Brandy walked with him back down the hall, and to the room she previously came across. "Well hey stranger," Glenn said with a smile as he looked up from lacing his boots, and stood up to hug Brandy.

"Hey Glenn," she greeted him as she hugged him back tightly. "How is Teresa doing?"

"Just fine. She had a doctor's appointment this morning, and everything is looking great for both her and baby."

"That's great! Have you talked about what you want to have?"

"I'd like a boy, and of course she'd like a girl," Glenn stated, making the two of them chuckle. "Honestly, though, all we really care about is the baby being healthy." Brandy simply smiled at this. "So what do you think so far, of all of this?"

"Oh, it's...interesting, to say the least," Brandy replied, making Glenn chuckle.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means I'm wondering what the hell I got myself into," she commented, making both men laugh.

"Babe, I promise that isn't the norm for around here. I'm just going to have to keep a closer eye on you than I realized, because apparently you attract crazy," Mark replied, giving her a nudge as he added the last part teasingly.

Glenn frowned. "What do you mean? Did something happen?"

"Some kid tried to hit on her, that's all. Even went as far as to grab her. Luckily, I found them before he got very far," Mark explained, without realizing it pulling her tight to his side.

Again, Glenn frowned. "Who the fuck did that? We haven't had that kind of a problem in...hell, years."

"I didn't recognize him, but he said his name was Seth."

"Ah, one of the new guys. He started while you were gone. Yeah, he is a little shit, I can't stand him. What Vince saw in him, I don't know. The kid is dangerous in the ring, and not in a good way. He damn near almost broke Paul's neck last week during their match."

Mark simply shook his head. "Well, best believe Vince will be hearing about this, and I fully expect him to have that asshole gone before the end of the show," he stated as he placed his bag down on the table, and brought his attention back to Brandy. "I need to take a quick shower, don't leave the room without me, okay?" When she gave him a look, he added, "Don't start with me, woman. I ain't in the mood for your lip."

Unable to help herself, she smirked as she shook her head. "Yeah yeah, just go," she replied, and grinning he touched her cheek before disappearing into the shower room. "So who are you up against tonight?" Brandy asked Glenn, bringing her attention to him.

"It was supposed to be Shawn, but after his injury the other night I'm not sure if that is still the case. I'm about to go talk to Vince, so I'm sure he will let me know."

"Well whoever it is, I hope you have a good match."

Glenn smiled at her. "Thanks Brandy, I'll see you guys around," he replied, and gave her another quick hug before leaving the room.

Walking back over to the table, Brandy began to carefully get out Mark's in ring outfit, studying each piece before carefully spreading them out across the table. Just as she had the last item out, there was a sudden knock on the door, making her heart immediately begin to thud heavily in her chest. Hesitantly, she walked over to the door, and taking a deep breath she finally got herself to open it, surprised when she found a gorgeous brunette with pretty blue eyes standing there. "Yes?" Brandy asked.

The girl frowned, clearly taken back by Brandy being there. "I...I'm sorry, is this Taker's dressing room?" she asked, glancing at the other side of the door once more.

"It is."

"Is...Taker in there?"

"He is, but he is showering right now. Is there something I can help you with?"

The girl suddenly gave her a glance over, and took Brandy by surprise when she gave a small scoff. "I'm sorry, but...just who are you?"

Brandy could feel her temper flare at the girl's reaction. "I'm the one in his dressing room, unlike you," she shot back, and before anything else could be said she quickly shut the door in her face and locked it. When she turned back around she found Mark standing there in just a towel, drying his hair with a second towel as he raised an eyebrow at her.

"What was that?" he asked, tossing the second towel to the table as he stepped closer to her.

"I really don't feel very wanted here," Brandy commented, making him frown.

"What do you mean? What happened?"

"Some bitch was looking for you, and just...she acted like I wasn't even worthy to be in the same building as her, much less in this room with you."

"Who was it?"

"I don't know, and I don't care. Is everyone in the business fucked up in one way or another?"

"No, babe, they're not. I'm sorry you're meeting the bad apples first, but I promise most of the people I work with are great," Mark reassured her, and leaning down kissed her head.

"I just don't get why she was like that."

"She might have been jealous." When she looked at him with a confused expression, he added with a shrug, "I've been told the women around here like the way I look."

This made Brandy uneasy. "Is...that mutual?"

Mark gave her a look, and grabbing her hand held it up. "Did I put a ring on YOUR finger, or theirs? Am I engaged to YOU, or them?"

Brandy looked down. "I'm sorry...I just worry," she said quietly, feeling guilty for ever doubting him.

Running a hand through her hair, he replied, "You don't have to apologize, babe. I'm just pointing out the fact you are the one who caught my eye, not any of them." After a moment, she looked back up at him, a glint in her eyes as she did so, and took him by surprise when she tugged on the towel he was wearing. "What the hell-" he started to say as it fell to the floor, but his words died off when she knelt before him, one hand grabbing his thigh as the other immediately began stroking him. He went to say something, but found himself unable to form any words as his eyes drifted shut, his cock quickly growing hard from her touch. "God damnit, woman, can you not go five minutes without needing me to fuck you?" he finally managed to get out, his words making her giggle.

"Who said I want you to fuck me?" she stated, and suddenly giving a long swipe of her tongue along the underside of his thick shaft, her action making him give a small grunt of surprise as he leaned back to grasp the table.

"Then what do you think you're doing? Forcing me to go on TV with a massive erection?" he asked, his question teasing but his voice low with lust.

She once more giggled, and shook her head. "I just wanted to remind you who this cock belongs to," she replied, and before he could say anything else she took him down her throat, making him let out a throaty moan.

"It's yours, baby...fuck, it's yours," he groaned, his hand immediately tangling in her hair. His breathing growing heavy, he admired her talents as she used both her hand and mouth to pleasure him, and with just the right amount of suction she managed to quickly make him spiral higher and higher. "Brandy, I'm...I'm..." he panted, growing dangerously close, and as soon as her big eyes met his he clutched a fistful of her hair as he bit back his moan. Closing her eyes, she made quiet noises of approval as she swallowed every last drop he offered her, and as she felt him relax she let him fall from her mouth, their gazes once more locking as she licked her lips to ensure she got it all. Giving a small shake of his head, Mark closed his eyes as he let his head fall back. "I'm sending you back, having you come along was a bad idea," he commented as she stood back up, making her laugh.

"I don't believe that for a second," she playfully protested, grinning smugly at him.

When he finally looked back down at her, he smirked as he grabbed onto her waist. "Alright, you caught me, I don't actually mean it," he chuckled, and leaning down kissed her.

"Taker, Vince needs you!" a voice suddenly called out from the other side of the dressing room door, followed a few loud knocks.

Mark gave a low growl. "Give me five minutes, I'll come find him," he called back out to the person, and brought his attention back to Brandy. "Today is going to be a pretty busy one for me, so I won't really be able to show you around to everyone like I would like to before the show. I need you to stay in here for me, okay? I don't want anything happening to you."

"Mark-"

"Brandy, please...please don't fight me on this," he interrupted, and she could sense his concern by both his voice and expression. "I know I'm being a little overprotective, but...the last time I left you alone, I just.."

Reaching up, she touched his cheek. "I know, Mark. I know," she said quietly.

Gently grabbing her shoulders, he simply looked at her a moment before pulling her to his chest. "I promise I won't be like this forever, but...I just can't help it right now. It's still too soon after everything."

"I know," she said simply, holding onto him. "I just wanted to explore, that's all, but if I have to wait, I'll wait."

Mark thought for a moment, desperately wanting to give her what she wanted. It was such a small request. "I tell you what, I'll keep an eye out for Glenn, and if I can find him I'll see if he would be willing to show you around, maybe introduce you to some people. Does that sound okay?" he suggested, pulling her back to look down at her.

Brandy quickly nodded, making him smirk. "I'd be okay with Kevin, too...if you're okay with him, that is. He seems nice."

Leaning down, Mark kissed the top of her head. "I'll keep an eye out for him, too. Now let me get dressed, woman. I have a job to do."

) ) ) ) )

As the crowd cheered loudly, and Mark's theme song began to play, Stephanie could feel her stomach flutter with excitement at finally getting the chance to talk to him. After finding out his mysterious fiancee had left him, and then watching a parade of women go through the doors with him as he grieved his loss, she was finally getting her chance to get him alone and tell him how she felt.

As soon as the curtain parted, and he walked through it, there was cheer from everyone standing there as he walked through the people. When they made eye contact, he grinned at her, and Stephanie could not help but to smile back. "Hey Steph, it's good to see you," Mark greeted her, giving her a hug.

"It's good to have you back, Taker," she replied, hugging him back. "How was your time off?"

"It was nice, actually. From what I've been told, I didn't miss a whole lot around here."

"Other than a few new hires, not really." He simply nodded at her. "Listen, do you by chance have a second?"

"For what?"

"I just wanted to talk to you real quick."

"Want to walk with me to my dressing room?"

Stephanie could feel her face grow warm at this offer." Sure," she replied simply, smiling up at him, and heading around a corner the two of them started walking down a hall.

"So what's up?"

Stephanie suddenly found herself unsure of what to say. "Well..."

Mark glanced down at her with a raised eyebrow. "Yeah?"

"We're friends, right?"

"I like to think so, yeah."

"And we always look out for each other's best interest, right?"

"Well sure. What are you getting at?"

"I...look, I don't want to seem out of line, but...I'm not dumb, I've noticed how many women you've went through for a while now, and I get it. Having your heart broken is hard...but don't you think what you've been doing is only making it worse?" Mark remained silent, and Stephanie was not sure if this was a good or bad thing. _'You already started this – you have to keep going, now,' _she told herself, and taking a deep breath continued, "I'm not trying to upset you, and I'm not trying to start shit. I'm sorry if it seems like I am. I just...I care a lot, and I want to see you happy. You deserve someone who is going to make you happy, and all those...those _sluts_ aren't going to do it, because they don't see you for who you are, but I do. I see you, Mark, and I see what a good person you are."

Stopping in front of his dressing room door, Mark looked down at Stephanie and gave her a small smile. "Steph, I appreciate your concern, and I admit – I was acting a fool for a while, but I don't think you have anything to worry about anymore."

"No? Then why did I find some random girl in your dressing room earlier?"

Mark frowned. "What random girl?"

"Some short, dark haired girl. Said you were in the shower, or something, I don't remember."

Mark gave a low chuckle. "She ain't random, that's-" he started to say, when he looked over Stephanie's shoulder, and his entire face lit up as he smiled. "There's my girl," he commented as he stepped past Stephanie, and lifted someone up in his arms.

"You were amazing out there, Mark!" the girl gushed as she hugged him around the neck, making him laugh as she pressed kisses all over his cheek, and Stephanie frowned in confusion.

Mark smiled at her as he placed her back on her feet, and brought his attention back to Stephanie. "Steph, the 'random girl' you were referring to is my fiancee, Brandy. Brandy, this is Stephanie, a good friend of mine."

As soon as Brandy saw Stephanie, her smile left her face, and she looked at her for a moment before looking back up at Mark. "THIS is one of your friends?" she asked.

Mark frowned as he looked between the two of them. "Did I miss something, here?"

Internally yelling at herself to think fast, Stephanie cleared her throat before explaining to Mark, "We may not have gotten off on the best of terms earlier. I was a little snooty towards her, but from what I just explained to you, I think you can understand where I was coming from." Bringing her attention to Brandy, Stephanie forced herself to extend her hand as she added, "I'm so sorry, that's not how I normally am, and I hope we can start fresh? I promise I'm not a bitch."

Brandy looked at her with a critical eye, before glancing up at Mark. "I may have been a bit of a...'playboy'...during our little...hiatus, if that's what you want to call it. Steph saw that. When she saw you, she thought you were another...'victim', so to speak," Mark explained.

Brandy looked back at Stephanie, and finally accepted her extended hand. "I guess I can respect that," she finally said as she shook Stephanie's hand. "I appreciate you looking out for him."

Stephanie forced a smile. "Of course, he's a great guy," she replied, using all her willpower to remain civil.

"He sure is," Brandy commented with a smile as she leaned into Mark, the site of them making Stephanie want to pull Brandy's hair from her head.

"Well, I won't keep you guys, I mainly just wanted to say hi to Taker since I hadn't seen him in a while. It's really great meeting you, Brandy, I hope I get to see you around more now."

"That's the plan," Brandy replied, and Stephanie forced a laugh before giving a small wave and walking away from them. "I guess she doesn't seem so bad," Brandy commented to Mark once she was gone, looking up at him.

"She really is a great girl, Steph is one of my favorites in the business. We've been pretty close since I first started with the company."

Brandy raised an eyebrow at him. "Do I have to worry about some competition with her?" she asked, partially teasing, but also partially serious.

Taking her face in his hands, Mark leaned down to kiss her. "There's no competition when it comes to you, babe," he reassured her in a quiet voice, and shared a smile with her before the two of them headed into the locker room to gather their things. If only they knew the truth...

) ) ) ) )

"I'm going to kill her. I swear to god, Tory, I am going to kill the bitch," Stephanie threatened as she paced the hotel room. "This was supposed to be MY time, MY chance to finally get him, and what does the bitch do? Come crawling back to him like the pathetic excuse of a human she is. What's worse is, he actually took her back! Like...what the fuck? Does she have a pussy made of gold, or something?"

The busty blonde lounging on the bed looked up at Stephanie from the red nailed manicure on her hands she had been examining. "Steph, she isn't worth the worry. Have you seen her? Like...really? Look at her, and then look at you. He probably took her back because he feels sorry for her. Who is going to actually want her? Like, seriously. She is nothing compared to you."

"Normally, I would agree with you, but for whatever reason she obviously has some kind of hold on him. Why, I don't know. She's boring looking as hell, and is probably a dead fish in bed."

Tory laughed at Stephanie's comment. "I don't know, Steph, I've heard Taker can be pretty wild in bed, so she must somehow keep up. Maybe she takes it in the ass, or something."

"You aren't helping!" Stephanie complained, and threw a pillow at Tory. Laughing, she caught it and tossed it to the side. "Not getting my way is torture, I'm not used to this," Stephanie added with a whine, flopping down onto the bed.

"Well, you might have to work for something this time." Stephanie looked over, and gave Tory a look. "Don't act like things aren't handed to you, bitch. Have you seen your father?" Unable to help herself, Stephanie smirked at this. "Seriously, though, you obviously have it bad for Taker. How he hasn't caught on, I have no clue. I thought for sure you'd get to fuck his brains out when he was going through his manwhore stage."

"I thought if I acted like a good friend, it would happen," Stephanie grumbled with a pout. "Obviously, I was wrong."

"Well, it's time to quit whining about this problem, and actually do something about it," Tory stated, and quickly sat up.

Stephanie looked back over at her friend. "What am I supposed to do?"

"That is what we are going to figure out," Tory replied, and reaching into her pocket pulled out a small baggie of a white substance. "How about an upper to get our brains going?"

Stephanie grinned. "I like the way you think," she commented, and sat up while Tory grabbed what they needed for a long night of planning their sabotage...


End file.
